Nigeria, April 22 -- Nigeria's ambassador-designate to Algeria, Mohammed Lele, is dead.

The newly appointed diplomat died in Turkiye last Saturday morning from an illness he had long battled with, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry said that Mr Lele served as Director in charge of the Middle East and Gulf Division before his ambassadorial appointment.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that President Bola Tinubu approved the posting of Mr Lele alongside 64 other diplomats last month.

The president approved the posting of 31 career diplomats and 34 non-career diplomats two years after he recalled the previous ambassadors, which included 41 non-career and 42 career diplomats, in September 2...