Coronavirus death has been confirmed in Nigeria, with the first one announced by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
NCDC, said the case was a 67-year-old male who returned from the UK following a medical procedure.
He had underlying medical conditions- multiple myeloma and diabetes and was undergoing chemotherapy, The Nation reports.
The victim has been identified as Suleiman Achimugu, a former Managing Director of the Pipeline and Product Marketing Company.
Achimugu, from Kogi State, becomes the first person to be killed by the virus in Nigeria.
In a statement on Monday, Abubakar Achimugu on behalf of the family said, “Our family is deeply saddened to inform you of the sudden death of our beloved father, uncle, brother and friend, Engr. Suleiman Achimugu (former MD of PPMC).
“He died of COVID-19 on 22/03/2020 some days after he arrived Nigeria from the UK.
“He was in self isolation upon his return from the UK and personally called NCDC after experiencing some discomfort that are related to COVID-19 symptoms.
“He tested positive and was promptly evacuated to the specialist hospital. He died while receiving treatment.”
Earlier, when SaharaReporters reached out to the Nigerian Center for Disease Control to confirm the development, they declined to respond or reveal the identity of the victim.
Nigeria now has a total of 35 confirmed cases of the pandemic.
