Coronavirus kills Nigeria president’s Chief of Staff

Coronavirus has killed Abba Kyari, the chief of staff to Nigeria’s president.

“The Presidency regrets to announce the passage of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari,” The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, said. “The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging COVID-19, and had been receiving treatment. But he died on Friday, April 17, 2020.”

Mr Kyari had tested positive to the coronavirus shortly after he returned from a trip to Germany in March.

He has now been buried at the Gudu Cemetery in Abuja. Channelstv.com reported that his remains were brought in an ambulance to the Defence House in Abuja, where family members, as well as his colleagues, gathered to pay their last respect.

Yesterday Nigeria recorded 51 new cases of coronavirus, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said. The NCDC reported 32 cases in Lagos, six in Kano, five in Kwara, two each in the Federal Capital Territory and Oyo, and one each in Ogun and Ekiti.

The total confirmed coronavirus cases in Nigeria are 493. The virus has so far killed 17 people in the country.

On Sunday President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria announced a 14-day extension to a lockdown in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun states to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The lockdown in the 3 cities was initially meant to last for 14 days, until 13th April. Addressing the nation, Mr Buhari said it was “necessary to extend the current restriction of movement in Lagos and Ogun States as well as the FCT for another 14 days effective from 11:59 pm on Monday, 13th of April, 2020.”