Coronavirus Kills 640 Civilians & 15 Dignitaries In Kano In 7 Days

Tension As Coronavirus Kills 640 Civilians & 15 Dignitaries In Kano In 7 Days

Last week medical doctors reported that 640 civilians died of Coronavirus complication in Kano state.

The new update from the state is that 15 dignitaries from Kano Emirate Council have died of suspected coronavirus infection which they tagged strange disease.

On Sunday, the development assumed a frightening dimension with the death of a renowned Professor of Mass Communication in Bayero University Kano (BUK), Prof. Balarabe Maikaba.

He was said to have died in the early hours of Sunday after a long battle with diabetes and high blood pressure.

The Nation reports that over 15 prominent indigenes of Kano have died of different “strange ailments” in the last 48 hours.

Though many attribute the situation to COVID-19 pandemic, it was gathered none of the deceased tested positive for coronavirus.

Prominent among those who died were: Prof Ibrahim Ayagi, Dr Musa Umar Gwarzo, Alhaji Dahiru Rabiu (former Grand Khadi), Musa Tijjani (Editor of Triumph Newspaper) and Adamu Isyaku Dal (former SUBEB Executive secretary).

Others were: Alhaji Salisu Lado, Hajiya Shamsiyya Mustapha, Hajiyaj Nene Umma, Alhaji Garba Sarki Fagge, Dr. Nasiru Maikano Bichi, Secretary Student Affairs, North West University, Prof. Aliyu Umar Dikko of Physiology Department of Bayero University Kano and Ado Gwanja’s mother, former Commissioner of Education during the military era, Alhaji Aminu Yahaya, among others.

Residents of the ancient commercial city are apprehensive as the deceased the hailed from the eight Local Governments of Dala, Nassarawa, Fagge, Gwale, Kumbotso, Ungogo, Kano Municipal and Taurani that made up the Kano Emirate Council.

There are unanswered questions over what could be the cause of the mass deaths.

When The Nation visited some of the graveyards, the undertakers agreed that there have been an upsurge of corpses bought for burial lately.

One of them, who spoke to our correspondent, Aminu Abubakar of Kara Cemetery, described the way and manner people are dying in Kano as strange.

“It is not only in this cemetery that we are experiencing this situation. My colleagues from other cemetery tell me they have the same experience. I am not a medical doctor, so, I cannot explain exactly the circumstances behind these massive deaths.

“It could due to the intensive heat; and as I can observe, most of the dead bodies that they buried were mostly elderly people,” he stated.

Coordinator of the Kano state Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Tijjani Hussaini who spoke to The Nation on phone on Sunday, said the State Government is embarking on proper investigation of the deaths.

According to him:

“As I am talking to you, my team has been drafted to all the Wards of the eight Local Governments within the metropolis.

“They are taking their time, taking details of deaths in every community so that we can do proper analysis and inferral.

“We have developed protocol and guide on how to go about this investigation, as I promise, the investigation has been transparent, involving several stakeholders. When analysis is concluded, we will make the result available to all concerned.

“Those who died were not tested for COVID-19. As such, their deaths cannot be attributed to the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.”

In a statement on Sunday, Kano State Government acknowledged the recent deaths in Kano, assuring it was on top of the situation.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje directed the state Ministry of Health to probe the immediate and remote causes of the deaths.

Commissioner of Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, in a statement, said although investigation into the cause of the deaths is ongoing, a preliminary report from the state Ministry of Health indicated that the deaths are not connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.