Controversy has continued to trail the death of Major General Olubunmi Irefin, who died on Thursday of COVID-19 complications.
Family sources said amid fears of spreading the pandemic, the entire household of the deceased General Officer Commanding the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, as well those he came in contact with before departing for the Chief of Army Staff conference in Abuja, were subjected to test with a view to determining who was negative or positive.
The source said after the exercise, nobody was returned positive to the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, thereby raising doubt to the report given by the Army authorities.
Nigerian Army spokesperson, Brigadier General Sagir Musa, said yesterday in Abuja, that the allegation by the Ayetoro-Gbedde Development Association (AGDA) and Ayetoro-Gbedde Traditional Council that the GOC did not die of COVID-19 infection was fake news.
The Ayetoro-Gbedde Development Association (AGDA) and Ayetoro-Gbedde Traditional Council, have jointly rejected the military claims that late Major General Olubunmi Irefin died of COVID-19 complications.
Irefin, the serving General officer Commanding six division of the Nigerian Army reportedly took ill on Monday while attending the annual Chief of Army Staff conference in Abuja, died in the early hours of Wednesday at a military medical facility.
In a statement signed by Aminu Abdulahi Adeyemi, the AGDA/ Ayetoro Gbede traditional council wondered that since the “incubation period of COVID-19 is two weeks after which the victim will start to show symptoms like high fever, severe headache etc, Irefin should not have died so soon.
“We should not forget that General Olubunmi Irefin was in Ayetoro-Gbede two weeks ago for the burial ceremony of his late mother.
“During the brief period of his stay at home, he was full of life, and, observers agree that every movement of his, was with military precision.
“Suddenly, a signal came to him from Abuja to attend Chief of Army Staff Conference which started last Monday, December 7, 2020, we did not hear of his illness until the sad news came to us on 10th December, 2020 that the General died of COVID -19; and the sudden rush for his burial on December 12, 2020”, the statement added.
Aminu said in the statement that “even if the symptoms mentioned above manifested in the late army general, COVID-19 has not been known to kill instantly.
“At the advance age of 80 years, the former Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, late Abba Kyari, battled COVID -19 for weeks before he died”.
The community also expressed dissatisfaction in what it described as the sudden haste in the burial of the General by the military authority.
“Not until convincing answers are provided by the military authority for the above questions, the Ayetoro-Gbede community will not be happy with the military establishment over the reason they claimed was responsible for the death of our son, General Olu Irefin.”
However, the Army spokesperson, Brigadier General Sagir Musa, yesterday in Abuja, in a response to the reaction of the Ayetoro-Gbede community, described the statement as fake news.
Dailyasset
