Many Aso Villa staff and presidential aides who were part of the crowd that gathered at Abba Kyari’s burial on Saturday have been banned from entering the State House until after quarantine and rigorous testing.
A reliable source told KAFTAN Post that the staff and presidential aides have become national security risks and will have to be quarantined in line with the relevant health protocols.
KAFTAN Post authoritatively learnt that government was alarmed and shocked that many had attended the burial contrary to official directive and family decision to have a private internment.
“The so called sympathisers had no business being there at Gudu to witness the burial. The medics, grave diggers and Imams were the only authorised persons. People even while grieving should still be seen to have power over their own emotions and sentiments. Abba Kyari would not approve of this while alive for people to risk their own lives and of others to attend a funeral in this circumstances”, a highly placed official informed KAFTAN Post.
It would be recalled that the federal government was on Saturday criticized by Nigerians for its failure to limit the number of attendee at the burial of the late chief of staff.
While late Kyari’s remains was being transported to the burial ground, a crowd of supporters, family members, well-wishers and government officials, in their bid to pay the final homage to the departing chief of staff, besieged the cemetery.
Though senior government officials including President Buhari, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo shunned the burial for fear of contracting the virus, Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and head of the presidential task force on coronavirus was among those sighted at the burial. Several senior government officials and politicians were also among the crowd.
It would be recalled that both the World Health Organisation and Nigeria’s National Centre for Disease Control had always warned that improper burial of a coronavirus victim could lead to infections. In their guidelines, therefore, both health organisations warned that should a burial be held, “the number of attendees should be limited.”
Having sensed that many people might contravene the existing policy how burial of COVID-19 victim should be, the disease control office, which does not regularly comment on individual cases, also specifically warned Saturday morning that attendance should be limited at Mr Kyari’s burial.
In a post on its Twitter handle, the NCDC said, “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.”
