THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that President Bola Tinubu’s ambassador’s designate to Algeria, Mohammed Lele, is dead.
Lele passed away in the early hours of April 19, 2026, in Ankara, Türkiye.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, who revealed this in a statement, said the late diplomat served as Director of the Middle East and Gulf Division until his death after a prolonged illness.
“The Ministry extends its heartfelt condolences to his immediate family, friends, associates and the government and people of Bauchi State, and prays for the peaceful repose of his soul, the strength for his loved ones during this difficult time, and the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss”, the statement read.
The ministry added that the deceased was buried today according to Islamic rites in Kano, Kano State.
Born in 1976 in Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Lere studied Economics at Bayero University, Kano, and joined the Nigerian Foreign Service in 2001.
Throughout his career, he served in several Nigerian missions, including Berlin-Germany, Lomé-Togo, and Riyadh-Saudi Arabia.
The ICIR reported in March that following the Nigerian Senate’s confirmation of their nominations, only 10 out of over 60 ambassadors and envoys deployed by Tinubu were accepted weeks after their deployment.
The countries that accepted the officials at the time the report was published were the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Ireland, Qatar, the Republic of Benin, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
India and several other countries were quietly reluctant to accept some of the envoys, a diplomatic hurdle tied to the short period remaining for Tinubu’s first four-year term.
The president withdrew all envoys and ambassadors appointed by his predecessor, the late President Muhammadu Buhari shortly after assuming office in May 2023.
It took him over two years to appoint their replacements.
He is eligible to run for another four years, which is his final.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.