Nigerian sacked over Buhari aide death tests positive

By Mansur Abubakar

A government official who criticised an aide of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari after he died of coronavirus has himself tested positive for the virus.

Muazu Magaji was sacked from his post as a commissioner in Nigeria's northern state of Kano after saying on social media he refused to grieve for Abba Kyari, the former chief of staff to President Buhari.

On Thursday, Mr Magaji posted on his Facebook page that he had tested positive for Covid-19 and had been moved to one of the state's isolation facilities.

"This morning my NCDC test is out... I have been confirmed Covid-19 positive... and have been moved to one of the state facilities... pray for us!" he posted on Facebook.

Amid the outpouring of grief for Mr Kyari last month, Mr Magaji bucked the trend by writing: “Nigeria is bigger than any individual.

"While praying for the president’s late support staff, ours is to prevent a repeat of his non-accountable domineering era.

“I am not a hypocrite and I won’t pretend! While at a personal level I pray Allah grant Abba Kyari Jannah [paradise]... I sincerely believe Nigeria needed a better CoS [chief of staff].”

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: Getty Images