Goni was said to have contracted the virus while the attending the burial of the father of former Borno governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, recently.
A former governor of Borno State, Alhaji Mohammed Goni, who died on Wednesday at the age of 78, is reported to have succumbed to complications from Coronavirus, sources close to the family.
Goni was said to have contracted the virus while the attending the burial of the father of former Borno governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, recently.
The burial was attended by a large gathering of sympathisers – most of whom failed to wear face masks or adhered to any of the safety guidelines stipulated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to stem the spread of the virus while attending the event.
In photos of the burial seen by SaharaReporters, Goni was shown sitting in front of Sheriff without wearing a face mask while several persons clutched around him.
A close family source, who confirmed Goni’s death to SaharaReporters, said that there was a high indication that the former governor died of complications from the virus. [story_link align="left"]80213[/story_link]
“It is not something the family is happy about and that is why it was kept within. He fell ill immediately after returning from that burial. It is suspected that he contracted Coronavirus there because there was a large crowd and people didn’t observe social distancing there.
“It is a painful loss for the family,” the source said.
In 1979, Goni was elected as the first civilian governor of the former Borno State on the platform of the Great Nigeria Peoples Party and was in office from October 1979 to September 1983.