Breaking: GOC dies of Covid-19 in Abuja
…forces Army to cancel COAS conference
By Solomon Ikechukwu
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Port Harcourt, Major General John Olu Irefin, has died of COVID-19 in Abuja while attending the Chief of Army Staff annual conference 2020.
He hailed from Ayetoro Gbede, Kogi State, also the hometown of General David Jemibewon.
The sudden death has forced the Army to cancel abruptly, the ongoing conference in Abuja.
Brigadier General Sagir Musa, Acting Director Army Public Relations, in a statement announced the abrupt cancelation. The statement read:
He said: “The Nigerian Army wishes to inform members of the public that due to resurgence of COVID 19 Pandemic in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja in what appears to be a second wave of infection cycle and the unfortunate incident on Tuesday 8 December 2020, where an officer participating in the ongoing Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference 2020 here in Abuja tested positive to COVID 19, the remaining activities of the conference have therefore been immediately cancelled.
“All the participants have been mandated to immediately proceed on self-isolation in line with the Federal Government’s protocol for COVID 19 and to prevent any further spread of the disease”.
“The Chief of Army Staff wishes to inform all dignitaries and other invited guests that activities earlier scheduled for the wedding of his son Mr Hamisu Tukur Buratai will proceed as arranged albeit pruned down without the participation of all those who were at the conference.
“The Chief of Army Staff, on behalf of his family, feels honoured to sincerely appreciate, thank and welcome all dignitaries and invited guests to his son’s Wedding Fatiha slated for Friday 11 December 2020”.
