The late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, will be buried on Saturday (today) in Abuja, according to Islamic rites.
THE WITNESS, however, learnt that Kyari will be interred behind closed doors in compliance with the existing social distancing directive aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus.
Personal Assistant on New Media to President Buhari, Basir Ahmad, in a tweet on Saturday morning described Kyari as a man of honour who was misunderstood by many.
“Abba Kyari certainly was one of the most misunderstood people in the history of Nigeria. Those who had the opportunity to know him personally will tell you how extremely a good person he was.
“A man of honor, will be remembered as someone who sacrificed his life for this country.
“It was Mallam Abba Kyari’s turn last night, my time and your time will definitely come no matter how long it may take. And none of us will be here and healthy in the next 150 years.”
On March 24, 2020, it was made public that Kyari tested positive for COVID-19 on March 23, following an official trip to Germany nine days earlier. It was also reported that Kyari had underlying medical conditions and was secretly flown out of the country. Claims that were vacated when it became official and public that he was moved from Abuja to Lagos due to medical conditions.
Nearly 500 Nigerians have now contracted the virus as of Friday night, out of which 17 casualties have been confirmed.