Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has berated those peddling rumour that the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, has reportedly died.
Politics Nigeria reports that the rumour of Kyari’s death started on Thursday via a tweet by controversial investigative ‘journalist’ Kemi Olunloyo.
Olunloyo claimed ‘a high ranking member of President Buhari’s Cabinet has DIED from coronavirus complications’.
However, in a series of tweets on his Twitter handle on Thursday, Fani-Kayode described Olunloyo and those peddling rumour of Kyari’s death as vicious and heartless.
The former minister said Kyari was not dead but very much alive.
He wrote: “It is not true that Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to Muhammadu Buhari is dead. Those that are behind that rumour are vicious and heartless.
“I remain opposed to the Muhammadu Buhari administration, but to wish or proclaim someone dead simply because you disagree with him politically is unacceptable,” he wrote.
It is not true that Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to @MBuhari, is dead. Those that are behind that rumour are vicious and heartless. I remain opposed to the @MBuhari admin. but to wish or proclaim someone dead simply because you disagree with him politically is unacceptable.
— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) April 2, 2020
However, in a text response to Politics Nigeria, Femi Adesina, media aide to President Buhari, dismissed the tweet as fake news.
“The story is fake, pls ignore,” the text read.
Politics Nigeria had reported that the family of Kyari says their son is responding very well to treatment after experiencing mild symptoms of COVID-19.
According to a family member, his doctors have asked him to rest more as he recovers from the dreaded disease.
“Since the diagnosis, he has had the occasional cough, which, though not chesty, remained stubborn, hence his decision to transfer to a private facility in Lagos for further tests and observations.
“Up till now, he has had no high fever or difficulty in breathing, and the cough is subsiding after treatment, so he is making good progress. The doctors want him to sleep and rest more for now, so they took his phones away but he is stable and improving,” a family member told TheCable on Thursday afternoon.
But he is going die no matter time takes.