Panic in Army as General dies of COVID-19 in Abuja

TRACKING____There is palpable tension within the high command of the Nigerian Army as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Major General John Irefin, has died from complications caused by COVID-19.

The GOC, who tested positive for the virus during the on-going Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Conference on Tuesday in Abuja, later died at an undisclosed military health facility, thereby causing panic among officers and even the rank and file.

Until his posting to 6 Division in July this year, the late senior officer was the GOC 81 Division, Lagos. He had also commanded the land component of Operation Delta Safe, an ongoing military operation in the South-South against pipeline vandalism, oil theft, piracy and other forms of economic sabotage.

The late GOC was highlyregarded among the senior officers, considering his track records in operational and strategic commands. His death came barely two weeks after he buried his mother in Ayetoro Gbede, Kogi State, as confirmed by Governor Yahaya Bello, who described the death as “heart rendering.”

It was gathered that the senior officer’s condition was detected “after medical personnel of the Army stationed at the entrance to the venue of the conference, found his temperature to be extremely high.”

A senior military source, who spoke in confidence on the matter, said “the discovery was immediately escalated, leading to the special attention that was paid to the case, which turned into the fatality we now are witnesses to.” Another officer, who spoke in similar vein, said already, the 6 Division has been notified of the development “and similar measures of self-isolation of senior officers that attended the COAS conference are to be immediately adopted and enforced. Consequently, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.- Gen. Tukur Buratai, Principal Staff Officers, GOCs as well as other senior officers that participated at the conference in Abuja, have gone into self-isolation for 14 days.

This is even as other activities of the COAS’ Conference, a quarterly event of the Army, that assesses and reviews operational strategies, have been cancelled until further notice. There are indications that orderlies of the senior officers may also toe the line of their bosses, considering what their job schedules entail.

The development may have also affected the planned wedding of Buratai’s son, Hamisu, as the Army chief will not be available to welcome/receive dignitaries to the high-profile event taking place today. Apart from COAS, all other senior officers that were present at the conference have been barred from attending the wedding.

New Telegraph reports that the Army may not be the only body to worry over the death of the two-star General, as the possibility of his close family members and friends having contacts with him during the period, is high.

Nigerian Army, which confirmed the development in two separate statements on Thursday by its acting spokesperson, Brig.-Gen. Sagir Musa, regretted the inconveniences the incident may have caused. It said the directive for all participants to immediately observe self-isolation, was to prevent further spread of the viral disease, which has threatened human existence and put global economic growth in jeopardy.

“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 on-going 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,” the Army said. Accordingly, it directed that: “All the participants have been mandated to immediately proceed on selfisolation in line with the Federal Government’s protocol for COVID-19 and to prevent any further spread of the disease.”

On the wedding of Buratai’s son, Musa said: “…The Chief of Army Staff wishes to inform all dignitaries and other invited guests that activities earlier scheduled for the wedding of his son, Hamisu, 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.

“However, due to the resurgence of the pandemic in the FCT, General Buratai will be unable to personally attend to, receive or meet you at the event. All inconveniences hereby regretted please.” Meanwhile, Governor Bello of Kogi State has regretted the death of Irefin, saying the Army has lost an “outstanding officer.” In a statement by Kingsley Fanwo, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Bello said, apart from being a fine officer, the late GOC was also a scholar of repute. Bello said: “The governor, government and people of Kogi State regret the demise of an outstanding Army officer who hailed from the state, Gen. Olubunmi Irefin.

“The late Army General who was the GOC, 6 Div. recently gave her late mum a befitting last honour. For him to die a few weeks after burying his mother is heart rendering. “The late General Irefin was not just a brave soldier, but also an accomplished scholar of repute. To this end, the Kogi State government shall be putting in place, modalities to rename the Government Science Secondary School, Okedayo as Olu Irefin Science Secondary School, Okedayo. This is to inspire a new generation of Kogi youths to embrace hardwork and excellence. “