Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on Media and Publicity on Friday night said in a statement: “The Presidency regrets to announce the passage of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari.

“The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging COVID-19, and had been receiving treatment. But he died on Friday, April 17, 2020. May God accept his soul.”

Adesina said funeral arrangements would be announced soon.

Realnews reports that Kyari went into had self-isolation after testing positive for coronavirus late March and was moved to Lagos for treatment.

Prior to his sickness, Kyari had travelled to Germany along  Sale Mamman, minister of power, for a meeting in Germany Siemens officials to discuss Nigeria’s power sector issues.

Kyari hails from Borno state and was appointed as chief of staff to President Buhari in 2015 and reappointed him in 2019.

He had bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of Warwick in law and sociology

Realnews reports that the Center for Disease Control, NCDC, confirmed four new coronavirus deaths on Friday.

– April 18, 2020 @ 8:48 GMT /