About 20 generals of the Nigerian Army have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 following the death of the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State Maj-Gen John Irefin from COVID-19-related complications.
It is believed that the generals had contact with the deceased during last week’s chief of army staff’s annual conference 2020, in Abuja which was cancelled after Irefin’s passage.
Chief of Army Staff Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai; Minister of Defence Bashir Magashi and GOCs from nearly all the army divisions nationwide who were at the conference were directed to go on self-isolation.
Buratai also missed the wedding of his son in Abuja on Friday due to the development.
On Sunday, PUNCH learnt some of the infected GOCs and principal officers were being treated at the COVID-19 isolation centre, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Some of the patients were also being quarantined at other isolation centres in the Federal Capital Territory.
“The report is true; I know about four generals who returned positive and are being treated for the disease,” an unnamed source told the newspaper.
Army spokesman Brig-Gen Sagir Musa did not respond to calls and WhatsApp message before the paper went to print.
