COVID-19 kills Adamawa traditional ruler, family denied of burial rites

Adamawa State, North East Nigeria has lost a traditional ruler over a suspected COVID-19 pandemic.

He is Rufai Ahmad Duwa, Ma’ajin Adamawa, who died on Friday.

His death has thrown the State into mourning while there are fears within the Yola Palace over possible contacts.

The Federal Medical Center (FMC), Yola, has confirmed that the monarch died after battling with symptoms suspected to be COVID-19 and was buried on Friday evening in Yola City, Yola South LGA.

The FMC source disclosed that the hospital took his samples for COVID-19 examination, taking into account the symptoms he exhibited, and was put under surveillance.

Hospital source noted that the late monarch’s family were not allowed close contact while at the hospital; and safety rules were ensured during the funeral rites.

”People were asked to stay far away from the ambulance carrying the corpse and the medical personnel who prepared the corpse wore protective gears.”

FMC Yola’s Information Officer, Mohammed Dodo, envisaged that many contacts would be traced if blood sample of the deceased turned out to be coronavirus at the end of the day,.

“If the tests come out positive, many contacts of the deceased may be quarantined.”