Nigerians have continued to castigate the government’s lack of transparency, inconsistencies and lies in the handling of the treatment and burial of the late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari.

Kyari’s death was announced on Friday. He was 67. On Saturday, he was buried at Gudu Cemetery, Abuja, amidst controversies and concerns that the global standard for burying COVID-19 victims was violated.

“Funke Akindele was charged to court, tried, fined and subjected to other forms of discipline for not keeping the social distancing during her birthday party.

“NCDC is now apologising to Nigerians on behalf of the undertakers at Abba Kyari's burial.  Double standard,” a Nigerian, identified as Concerned Citizen, lamented on Twitter.

The manner in which Kyari’s burial was handled by top government functionaries is not the only issue that has ruffled feathers in the country.

Critics of the government have continued to pick holes in the way the Buhari administration handled Kyari’s treatment at a private hospital.

Many Nigerians have faulted government’s inconsistencies in the information it dishes out and for giving Kyari special privileges denied other citizens.

President Buhari rode to power on the promise of change and transparency – a promise critics say he has failed to keep.

The handling of Kyari’s Coronavirus infection and death has further dented the image of the government and heightened agitations for improved healthcare in the country.

Recall that Kyari tested positive for COVID-19 on March 23 after returning from a trip to Germany.

The Presidency was forced to announce that he had contracted the virus after an exclusive report by SaharaReporters.

When he was flown to Lagos for treatment, his whereabouts was shrouded in secrecy.

Probed to talk about the whereabouts of the late COS, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, kept sealed lips – he claimed he did not know his location.

However, on Saturday, Abayomi changed positions, revealing that Kyari was admitted at First Cardiology Consultants in Ikoyi to receive care for the virus.

To absolve the government of any indictment, Abayomi claimed the state government accredited the facility (First Cardiology Consultants) to treat persons infected with COVID-19.

“As a basis for accreditation, First Cardiology Consultants established a separate specialist wing with staff dedicated to the treatment of complicated cases of #COVID19 under the supervision of the Lagos State #COVID19 emergency response team,” he said.

This was an earlier position by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, who at a forum said that no private hospital had been accredited to treat persons infected with the virus.

He had warned that any private hospital found treating COVID-19 patients risked being shut down.

He said, “There is no private hospital that has been accredited to manage COVID-19 cases in Nigeria.

“Treating of private patients is not allowed. It is risky.

“Coronavirus is one of the most easily transmitted diseases you can think of. So, it is not allowed to treat Coronavirus privately.”

Another undoing of the government was the release of Kyari’s corpse for burial, a privilege that was denied other families of COVID-19 victims.

On April 3, 2020, at a News Agency of Nigeria Forum in Abuja, Nigeria’s Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, had said corpses of COVID-19 victims could not be claimed for burial.

He said the Ministry of Health would ‘handle’ the bodies ‘because they are contagious’.

Mohammed was quoted as saying “Coronavirus is very dangerous and contagious; there is no medicine for it yet, and it is not just capable of killing, overwhelming healthcare system, it will destroy the economy.

“In some countries, they are putting dead bodies in big refrigerators because the morgues have filled up.

“Nigerians should not forget that these are not the types of corpses that can be claimed for burial because it must be handled by the Ministry of Health.”

At Kyari’s televised burial, over 100 persons, who neither wore protective gears nor observed social distancing rules, showed up to observe the burial rites. Global health authorities say the virus cannot be transmitted posthumously but added that it could still survive on clothes for a few hours.

In other countries, bodies of such victims are being cremated or the government bury them in mass graves.

Kyari’s body was released for burial by the Lagos State Government and to justify that move, Prof Abayomi said there was no policy against the release of corpses of persons, who tested positive for COVID-19 for burial – contradicting Lai Mohammed’s earlier position.

To pacify Nigerians, Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, has apologised over violations that took place during Kyari’s burial on Saturday.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, made the apology during the daily briefing by the task force.

He said, “The PTF recognises, regrettably, the unintentional violation of the principles and protocols that form the core of our message to Nigerians at the funeral of the late chief of staff.

“These principles, for emphasis, include the guidance provided on mass gatherings, social distancing, personal hygiene, and restriction of movement.

“Lessons have been learnt and appropriate measures have been taken to close all gaps.”

http://saharareporters.com/2020/04/20/how-death-buhari%E2%80%99s-chief-staff-abba-kyari-coronavirus-exposed-many-lies-nigerian

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What we may not know for now is the late Abba Kyari's virus status before his death. Was he negative after the mandatory isolation period or what? I want to believe (my opinion) he died of the underlying health complications associated with the virus symptoms and not necessarily still having the virus in his system.

For example he was diabetic and hypertensive, it's possible that due to the infection he was treated with medications that a diabetic patient shouldn't have been exposed to just to hasten his recovery with the hope that the diabetic status could be managed easily thereafter.

As a result of the above, he may have also suffered organ failures due to his diabetic status like going into coma as a result of high/low blood sugar meaning he might have even collapsed violently suffering cranial trauma or even injuries to his back. This might have accounted for the blood people noticed on the casket after his corpse was retrieved.

More lies, the old man died abroad and was brought back to be buried,
I know this because the coffin used in conveying the so called corpse, is one used in importing dead bodies from overseas.

The body came from abroad.

Barrister Jiti Ogunye writes...

"The right to freedom of movement and the right of the citizens of Nigeria to reside in any part of the Country guaranteed by the Constitution do not vest in citizens, indigenous or non indigenous, the right to trespass on private, communal or publicly acquired and controlled lands or forest.

Every land in Ondo State ( and in virtually all the other states in the “ Federation “ of Nigeria ) is owned by individuals, communities, villages , towns , sub-ethnic groups or the government ( Federal and State Government). Indeed, the lands that were acquired and controlled by the government, under the old Public Lands Acquisition Act or the extant Land Use Act were acquired from aboriginal and indigenous communities.

Compensation was usually but not always paid by government for such acquisitions.

This implies that government itself recognizes that there are no “ free, unowned, unpossessed lands “ within the boundaries of Ondo State.

There are no free forest zones anywhere. For the forest reserves that are owned by the State Government, people ( including indigenes ) may not lawfully hunt for games or carry on logging activities therein without permit. It is criminal to do so.

There is a “ Forest Guards Department” in the Agricultural Ministry that enforces restrictions and disallows unauthorized entry!

The forests are owned by peoples and government of the State.

This being the case, it is indubitably an act of trespass ( criminal or civil ) for any herder or non- herder for that matter, to invade the lands, possess same and carry economic activities thereon; either of a nomadic/ itinerant kind or permanent type .

This is why individuals, communities, villages and towns engage in land disputes, including court litigations .

The right to freedom of movement and settlement do not permit a herder to constitutionally migrate from his part of the Country but to unlawfully settle on another’s person’s land temporarily or permanently.

For example , cocoa farmers from Ondo State cannot lawfully, while exercising their right to freedom of movement, go to Katsina State, clear large expanse of lands in any community, and without buying or legally acquiring the lands, start planting cocoa seedlings there ( assuming cocoa could be cultivated and plantations could flourish in that State ).

The other issue , however, is that of criminality and armed banditry, including kidnapping , ransom harvests and murders of innocent citizens in the forests. In Ondo State, there are people of northern, eastern and southern extractions who are lawfully and legitimately working as farmhands and labourers on the farms and in the forests.

With the permission of their hosts, they settle in the farms with their families .

No order has been made for their “ expulsion “.

The indisputable fact is that some non- indigenes have taken over or substantially infiltrated the Ondo State forests , including foreigners ( Malians and Niger Republic Citizens , posing as Fulani Herdsmen) Unfortunately, some rogue elements associated with the herders have been found in the past to be amongst the criminals.

The pretext or alibi used in invading the forests and staging violent kidnappings therefrom is that they are herdsmen.

To extirpate this excuse, the State has a bounding duty to order these “ herdsmen “ out of the forests. In any case , cattle breeders look for grazing fields to feed their cows ; they do not adamantly insist on a continued occupation of dense, rain forests.

Only recently, when government or military officials were giving reasons why some farmers were killed in Borno State by terrorists, it was alleged that the farmers went to their farms , under the shadow of a raging war, without securing security clearance or permit to return to the farms .

This indicates that for security imperatives , farming may be prohibited or suspended. If this could happen , why, in your “ humble view “ will a responsible state government not have the power to expel “ armed herders “ from its forests to protect the lives and property of its people .

Doesn’t the Constitution provide in Section 14(2)(b) that the “ security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government “ ?