Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The remains of Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, who lost his battle to Coronavirus disease was interred yesterday at exactly 11:30a.m at Gugu Cemetery, Abuja.
His remains were brought in an ambulance to the Defence House in Abuja, where family members, as well as his colleagues, gathered to pay their last respect.
Presidential media aide, Garba Shehu, had earlier announced the receipt of his body from Lagos, but added that there would be no condolence visits.
In a statement, he said: “We just received the body of Abba Kyari the deceased Chief of Staff the President in Abuja. In strict observation of the protocol put in place for the burial of Coronavirus victims by the @NCDCgov and the Federal Ministry of Health, the funeral prayer and burial will be private.
“Thereafter, there will be no such ceremonies as condolence visits. Well meaning friends, family members and the general public are encouraged to pray for the repose of Abba Kyari’s soul.”
Mallam Shehu speaking at the graveside of Kyari said that President Buhari, being a religious person, had accepted the development as the will of God.
“These are not things that we have a choice in, it’s providence, it’s God who says who goes and who stays. The president, obviously a deeply religious person, takes it that it cannot be helped, at the end of the day, all of us will also go that way”, he said.
The president’s Chief of Staff was on self-isolation after testing positive for Coronavirus late March.
He was subsequently moved to Lagos for treatment.
Those at the funeral rights at his home were male ministers (mostly from the North), including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama.