The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) was dismayed after its guideline on social distancing was not adhered to, on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 by a large crowd that gathered for the Abba Kyari’s burial in Abuja.

The Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, who was diabetic, died at a private care centre in Lagos on Friday, April 17th, due to complications from Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

He tested positive for COVID-19 after trips to Germany and Egypt where the pandemic had killed hundreds of people.

Senior government officials, including President Buhari, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; ministers, lawmakers and leading members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were not present at the burial, as a precautionary measure to contain coronavirus.

However, a large crowd of sympathisers still showed up without protective gears for the burial, which took place at the Defence House in Abuja, thereby making themselves vulnerable to contagion.

In a post on Twitter, the NCDC tweeted,

Even at this time, as we mourn loved ones lost to COVID-19, including the recently deceased President’s Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, we need to refrain from attending mass gatherings to prevent the further spread of #COVID-19.

According to a former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, flying Kyari’s body from Lagos to Abuja for burial was contrary to an earlier federal Government’s position, which stated that bodies of Coronavirus victims would be cremated and not released to their families for burial.

Odinkalu said,

First, @FMICNigeria told us that bodies of victims of #Coronavirus can’t be claimed, until @NGRPresident claimed its own.

We were told we should not gather more than 10 but @NGRPresident gathers more for #LiveTV.

We were told to keep #SocialDistance. Now, this?! Rules mean nothing?

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.