As the figure of Coronavirus cases in the country continues to soar, Nigeria has recorded her first death. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Atiku Announces Son’s Status, Advises Nigerians
This was made known via a tweet by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, on Monday.
The tweet stated: “The1st #COVID19 death in Nigeria has been recorded. The case was a 67-year-old male who returned home following medical treatment in UK.
“He had underlying medical conditions- multiple myeloma & diabetes & was undergoing chemotherapy
The tweet added: “Our thoughts are with his family.”
Findings have, however, revealed that the deceased was, Suleiman Achimugu; a former Managing Director of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
It was gathered that Achimugu, who returned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom two weeks ago, started showing symptoms of the virus last Tuesday.
He eventually died around on Monday by 2 AM, after coughing severely for the most part of Sunday.
According to a family source, the officials of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control were informed of his situation and even took his blood sample for testing but they never got back to his family until he died overnight.
The sources stated: “His blood sample tested positive for the virus.
“NCDC officials came to the house and took his blood specimen. Even though it tested positive, they never got back to us until he died at a hospital in Gwagwalada.
“We are all currently under quarantine in the house,” the source concluded.
Further reports suggest that the NCDC will handle Achimugu’s burial as part of efforts to avoid the continuous spread of the virus.
Earlier on Monday, the NCDC announced that Nigeria now had a total number of 35 confirmed cases of the pandemic.
The first death recorded by the Centre has since left Nigerians questioning their safety especially as people have failed to comply with the preventive measures laid down by the federal government.
