The General Officer Commanding of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Major General Olubunmi Irefin, is dead.
General Irefin reportedly died of coronavirus at the ongoing Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference, forcing the Army to hurriedly discontinue the programme.
It would be recalled that the conference, which started on Monday had President Muhammadu Buhari and some dignitaries as virtual participants while the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai; Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi and few others participated physically.
Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Sagir Musa, on Thursday, attributed the cancellation to the reported resurgence of COVID-19 in the Federal Capital Territory.
While not confirming the death of the general, he admitted that an officer participating in the ongoing conference tested positive to COVID-19.
Musa noted that all other participants have been directed to proceed on self-isolation for 14 days as required in NCDC guidelines and regulations to prevent further spread of the virus.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to inform members of the public that due to resurgence of COVID 19 Pandemic in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja in what appears to be a second wave of infection cycle and the unfortunate incident on Tuesday 8 December 2020, where an officer participating in the ongoing Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference 2020 here in Abuja tested positive to COVID 19, the remaining activities of the conference have therefore been immediately cancelled.
“All the participants have been mandated to immediately proceed on self-isolation in line with the Federal Government’s protocol for COVID 19 and to prevent any further spread of the disease. All inconveniences hereby regretted please.”
