Nigerians from all walks of life have begun to condole with President Muhammadu Buhari over the death of his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.
Somolu Newspaper reports that Mallam Kyari died on Friday after battling the dreaded coronavirus infection.
Kyari became the first top Nigerian government official to be killed by the COVID-19 since the first confirmed case of the virus was reported in Lagos on February 27.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had on Friday reported fifty-one coronavirus cases, taking the total of confirmed cases in the country to 493. According to the NCDC, 159 patients have been successfully treated and discharged while 17 deaths have been recorded since the outbreak of the virus in Nigeria.
Mallam Kyari was buried in Abuja on Saturday morning at the Gudu Cemetery in Abuja, according to Islamic rites amidst mournful moods by state officials and few relations.
Kyari dies serving his country – Obasanjo
A former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has commiserated with President Muhammadu Buhari over the demise of his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari who died after testing positive to the coronavirus disease.
Obasanjo, in a condolence letter personally signed and addressed to Buhari, noted that Kyari’s death would be painful to the President, his family and friends, but asked him to take solace in the fact that Kyari died “in the service of his country.”
He said Kyari’s death serves as a reminder that COVID-19 “requires all hands on deck soberly, cooperatively, humanly, humanely, justly, equitably, fairly, consolidated and comprehensively to be able to fight it successfully and to get all Nigerians back to good health and a healthy economy. God will give you and Abba Kyari’s family and friends the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Also, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has condoled with President Buhari and Kyari’s family over the death of Mallam Abba Kyari.
Aliko Dangote
Africa Business mogul, Aliko Dangote never hesitated to put emotional words across to Muhammadu Buhari through his twitter handle describing the death as a blow to the family of Mallam Abba Kyari and the nation large.
“It is with a heavy heart that I received the news of the passing of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, a brother and true patriot. The Nation has lost a brilliant, illustrious and quintessential technocrat. My condolences to his family, the President and the Nation. May Almighty Allah grant him mercy and a peaceful repose in Aljannah firdausi, Ameen.
