10 Prominent Nigerians who died of COVID-19:
-Senator Buruji Kashamu
-former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi
– Sikiru Adebayo Osinowo, former Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District
-Abba Kyari died at the First Cardiology Hospital in Lagos
– Dan Foster:
–Wahab Adegbenro
-Sulaiman Achimugu:
If there is any disease that does not respect social and educational status, it is COVID-19. To many Nigerians, it is the disease of the highly placed. In fact, COVID-19 appears to be killing more prominent Nigerians than the ordinary people, for many of those who surrendered to death as a result of COVID-19 complications are even the educated and upper-class Nigerians.
As the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, rightly observed, a good number of educated and well-to-do Nigerians make up several of COVID-19 fatalities in Nigeria.
“A disturbing picture emerging from statistics is that not only are most fatalities observed to be linked with preexisting diseases, but many are also educated, well-to-do people, who chose home-based care, where they developed sudden complication and have to be rushed to the hospital,” he said.
One medical authority identified COVID-19 complications as acute life-threatening challenges which may include acute respiratory failure, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, liver injury, cardiac injury, kidney injury, septic shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, blood clots and multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children.
This explains why well-to-do and prominent Nigeria easily succumbed to COVID-19, in view of the underlying health complication associated with them.
The death of former Senator Buruji Kashamu has swollen the ranks of the rising number of prominent Nigerians who died of CO VID-19 pandemic. Against this background, we profile high ranking personalities in Nigeria who had lost the battle to coronavirus complications.
Senator Esho Jinadu is among the latest prominent Nigerians who died of COVID-19, who was a member of the 8th Senate, died of complications from COVID-19 at the First Cardiology Consultants, Lagos.
Popularly called Buruji Kashamu, Senator Esho Jinadu died on Saturday, 9th August, 2020.
Kashamu’s demise was announced by his lawmaker-friend, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce through his Twitter handle.
Aged 62 years, Kashamu served as a Senator representing Ogun-East in the 8th National Assembly on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
He officially joined a list of prominent Nigerians who died of the novel coronavirus when his family later issued official statement regarding his death.
Former Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, is equally among passed away as a result of COVID-19 complications in Nigeria.
Ajimobi died on June 25th 2020. Aged 70 years, Ajimobi was Governor of Oyo State between 2011 and 2019.
He had allegedly been managing the sickness at home and later at a private health facility in place of an isolation centre after his condition worsened but the situation became severe in May, 2020 and had to be rushed to hospital.
He had reportedly been on a life support machine at the First Cardiology and Cardiovascular Consultants Hospital, Lagos, where he had been receiving treatment. All efforts to save Ajimobi proved abortive as he eventually died from COVID-19 complications.
Kashamu was controversial even in death, especially when former President Olusegun Obasanjo remarked that deceased evaded justice but bowed to death.
- Abba Kyari:
Ajimobi’s death was reminiscence of that of the former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari. Like Ajimobi, Abba Kyari died at the First Cardiology Hospital in Lagos on 17th April, 2020 after about a month struggle with complications of COVID-19.
Abba Kyari tested for COVID-19 March, 2020 after visiting Germany, forcing many prominent Nigerian officials who had contact with him to go into self-isolation.
In a statement released on March 29, said Kyari was transferred to Lagos, for private medical treatment and hoped “to be back” soon. But it was not to be.
- Sikiru Adebayo Osinowo:
Sikiru Adebayo Osinowo death also added to the list of prominent Nigerians who died of COVID19 complication. He was senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District at the Upper Legislative Chamber of the National Assembly.
Aged 64 years, Osinowo bowed out on 15th June, 2020. In a condolence message, Lagos Governor, Gboyega Akosile, expressed sadness over the death of the former senator and eulogising his legacies.
- Dan Foster:
Popular African-American on-air-personality, Dan Foster, is another prominent personality who surrendered to the coronavirus disease ravaging the world.
- Sulaiman Achimugu:
Nigerians are not quick to forget the former managing director of Pipelines and Products Marketing Compay, Sulaiman Achimugu. He died on March 23th, 2020, thereby becoming the first recorded death in Nigeria, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control after the country’s index case in late February.
- Wahab Adegbenro
The Ondo State commissioner of health, Wahab Adegbenro, died from COVID-19 complications on July 2 at the state’s infectious disease hospital.
He died two days after handing the positive test result of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to him. Many who spoke about the late Adegbenro said he was one of the most hard-working cabinet members of the state government.
Before venturing into politics, he ran his hospital in the state where he provided inexpensive healthcare, sometimes free, to many residents, thus earning a good reputation.
His popularity reflected in how hundreds of Ondo residents thronged his burial, a day after his death.
To be continued: