Kyari El-Kanemi, Shehu Of Bama Reportedly Died Of Coronavirus Disease

Against earlier reasons given for his demise by state officials, SaharaReporters can confirm that the late Shehu of Bama in Borno State, Alhaji Kyari El-Kanemi, died of COVID-19.

El-Kanemi passed away on Monday in Maiduguri and was buried on Tuesday within the premises of his palace in Bama town but state government officials had refused to disclose the real cause of his death.

Palace source revealed to SaharaReporters on Thursday that the first class monarch and one Wakil Bukar, lawmaker representing Nganzai constituency, died of Coronavirus shortly after being admitted to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

“The people of Bama are angry that the government did not publicly announce the cause of the death of Shehu, so that those who had contact with him could go on self-isolation.

“He received a lot of guests after the death of Abba Kyari, the late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, who is an indigene of Bama and a close friend of his.

“Presently, over hundred persons are quarantined at the Shehu’s palace but what about those who were just visitors and had since returned to their various destinations.

“Also those who washed his body after he died have also be quarantined.

El-Kanemi was buried on Tuesday within the premises of his palace
“That was why no government official attended his burial. Governor Babagana Zulum and his deputy, Umar Kadafur, did not show up, even the other two first class emirs.

“When his body was brought to Bama from Maiduguri, it was amidst tight security and people were prevented from attending his burial.

“While he was being buried, the National Orientation Agency had to use vehicles to mount roadblocks in order to stop people from attending his burial.”

Recall that SaharaReporters had earlier revealed that a former governor of Borno State, Alhaji Mohammed Goni, who died on Wednesday at the age of 78, was reported to have succumbed to complications from Coronavirus.

Goni was said to have contracted the virus while attending the burial of the father of former Borno governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, recently.

The burial was attended by a large gathering of sympathisers – most of whom failed to wear face masks or adhered to any of the safety guidelines stipulated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to stem the spread of the virus while attending the event.