Abba Kyari, chief of staff of the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, died on Friday after battling the deadly lung virus infection: Coronavirus. Abba is one of the primary victims to die of the Covi-19 in Nigeria. Speculations believed he died last two weeks ago.
Abba Kyari confirmed positive for the Covid-19 after he returned from a journey to Germany, the presidency said in a statement. Kyari was the ex-chief executive officer of United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), He became Buhari’s chief of staff in August 2015, and continues after his appointment after Muhammed Buhari winning a second term in office. He was a native of Kanuri from Borno state.
The news that Abba Kyari had tested positive for COVID-19 came for the first time on 24 March, about ten days after he returned from a trip to Germany, where he met with Siemens officials in Munich about the Nigerian electricity expansion program.
Buhari’s chief of staff confirmed the news in a statement on 29 March, the same day that President Buhari made his first nationwide broadcast on the pandemic and announced a two-week shutdown in Lagos, Ogun and the federal capital area, Abuja.
In his statement, Mr. Kyari announced that he would be transferred to Lagos for treatment and expressed the hope that he would return to work soon. But rumors broke out after two days he was transferred to Lagos that Abba has died of Covid-19.
Kyari, from the north-eastern state of Borno, had worked at companies such as Unilever Nigeria Plc and Nigerian faction of Exxon Mobil Corp and held degrees in law and sociology from the University of Cambridge and the University of Warwick.
Mr. Femi Adesina, the Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, also revealed that Abba Kyari, chief of staff, is dead on Twitter.
Mr. Garba Shehu, who is also the President’s spokespersons, confirmed the death of Buhari’s chief of staff, who died on Friday.
In Nigeria, this is 493 confirmed cases of covid-19, 17 people succumbed to the virus, according to Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)
