Aid worker dies of COVID-19 in Borno

An aid worker, Babangida Buba, working with Medicins Sans Frontieres has died in Borno State after contracting coronavirus.

Siham Hajaj, MSF Head of Mission (Nigeria), who confirmed the death, said the deceased “died on April 18 and post mortem test results indicate that they were positive for COVID-19,” Hajaj said, adding that “MSF is now supporting the Ministry of Health with contact tracing.”

Buba was an anaesthetic nurse and was rushed to Maiduguri from Pulka last week when his health degenerated before he died on Saturday.

The Borno Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Task Force on COVID-19, Alhaji Usman Kadafur has called on the people not to panic, insisting that the case is under control.

The state government has since placed a movement restriction on all the entry points to Borno state, but “there were no restrictions in the metropolis for now,” Kadafur said.

“If there is a need to do so, we will do that but for now, we only have the Interstate lock down into the state.”

He called on the residents to “adhere strictly to rules especially the social distancing advice and safe hygiene practice.”

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control late on Sunday said it had recorded a cumulative total of 627 confirmed cases and 21 deaths – including one in Borno.