25th March, 2020
Malam Abba Kyari, chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari has been moved to Lagos for treatment of his coronavirus infection, sources told P.M.News on Tuesday night.
He will be treated at the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, in Yaba.
University of Abuja Gwagwalada Teaching Hospital in Abuja initially treated him.
Kyari, who returned from Germany on 14 March tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.
This triggered huge panic in the Presidential Villa in Abuja and outside as there were speculations that he may have spread the virus to his contacts.
In a way, the speculations were not totally off-rail as three workers in Kyari’s office tested positive on Tuesday.
However, both President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo tested negative for the virus.
Nevertheless, fears persisted Wednesday that many contacts of the President’s chief aide may have contracted the virus.
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote is among the contacts.
He sat with Kyari at the wedding of the son of Police IG, Mohammed Adamu in Abuja on 14 March.
Kyari also interacted with Minister of Power Engineer Mamman Sale. Both travelled to Germany together on 7 March for talks with Siemens over Nigeria’s electricity expansion programme.They returned 14 March.
(Also read: Abba Kyari: Fears for. Osinbajo, others
Nigerians called out Mamman Sale on Twitter Tuesday, asking him to quickly self-isolate.
Mamman Sale was criticised for hosting the American ambassador Mary Beth Leonard on 19 March, knowing that he had arrived from a coronavirus-hit Germany.
Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who now heads the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 is another Kyari contact.
Also listed among Kyari’s contact is the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu.
Other notable contacts are Garba Shehu, President Buhari’s SSA Media and Senator George Akume, Minister of Special Duties and Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information.
Kyari visited Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello on 17 March on his return from Germany, to deliver Buhari’s message to Bello, putting the governor also at risk of contracting the virus.
Kyari’s visit was at the eighth-day prayers marking the demise of Bello’s mum. Lai Mohammed, Akume, Shehu were all at the event.