Abba Kyari: Presidency Warns Mourners To Stay Away From Funeral, As Lawyer Condemns Private Funeral For The COS

The Presidency has warned Nigerians to steer clear of the burial of the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari.

Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu gave the warning in Abuja on Saturday, stating that Kyari’s burial is ‘strictly private’.

He urged Nigerians to observe the guidelines of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC and Ministry of Health on coronavirus.  

Shehu stated: “After this event, there would be no ceremony such as receiving of condolence visits. People must observe the existing regulations put in place by NCDC and Federal Ministry of Health.

“He was brought here for the wife to take a final look before he is laid to rest”.

Meanwhile a lawyer and activist, Edward Brisibe condemned the private funeral given to the Chief of Staff, stating that the action by the presidency has shown that “some persons are more Nigerian than others.”

Brisibe first expressed his condolence, stating that the presidency has indeed lost a key figure of its inner cycle who died in active service and “indeed it will be a big shoe to fill by anyone.”

He went further to accuse the federal government of contradicting itself in its social distancing guidelines and claims that COVID-19 corpses can’t be claimed by family members for burial.

Brisibe’s statement reads: “First I want to use this medium in joining the federal government to mourn the death of a man that has played a key role in this administration as well as the families of those who have lost a loved one to the virus.

“But however, on behalf of Nigerians who have lost a loved one as a result of the pandemic and could not have access to such victims for burial owing to the claims by the federal government through the Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed that corpses of COVID-19 can’t be claimed by families for burial, the case of Kyari has sown that some persons are more Nigerian than others

“It was indeed sickening and sad to read that the late CoS was flown to Abuja, received by officials of the presidency and family members, and given a private funeral at the Guru general cemetery while families that have lost loved ones to the virus, have been deprived from having access to bury such victims.

“Personally speaking, with the activities surrounding the body of the late Chief of staff, it shows that the average Nigerian who have lost love ones, should be given permits to have access to their loved ones for similar burial because no Nigerian is too equal to another in a country were some persons are more Nigerian than others.”