Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President, is dead.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, confirmed this in a press statement.
Adesina said the Chief of Staff to Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari died on Friday after testing positive for COVID-19.
He said, “The Presidency regrets to announce the passage of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari.
“The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging COVID-19, and had been receiving treatment. But he died on Friday, April 17, 2020.
“Funeral arrangements will be announced shortly.”
Kyari was on March 24 reported to had contracted the coronavirus.
After Nigeria recorded the first coronavirus case on February 27, Kyari visited Germany and Egypt.
In Germany, he and the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, on March 9, met Siemens officials over the power deal signed with the company.
Barely a week after the report, Kyari announced his decision to leave Abuja for Lagos to receive medical treatment in a private facility.
Upon his arrival at Lagos, the State and Federal Governments refused to declare his whereabouts.
The announcement of Kyari’s death came a few hours after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control stated that no fewer than 11 people have died of coronavirus-related complications in the country.
However, it could not be ascertained if Kyari’s death had been counted as one of the fatalities.
The NCDC also said that the confirmed cases of coronavirus have increased to 493 in Nigeria after 51 new infections were recorded on Friday.
