Azare Mysterious Deaths: 30 And Not Over 300 Died In A Week – Bauchi Government Says 

…Says only one person died from COVID-19

BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – The Bauchi State Government on Saturday confirmed that one COVID-19 positive case has died from the disease at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) treatment Centre, Azare.

The State Government however denied reports that there is an ongoing mass deaths in Azare as reported in some sections of the media and the social media.

It said that based on its finding in the town, only 30 people have so far died in the last one week, stressing that their deaths were not in any way related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Deputy Governor of the State, who is also Chairman of the State Rapid Response Taskforce on COVID-19 and Lassa Fever, Senator Baba Tela, announced the findings of the government at a media briefing, saying that only one person died of COVID-19 pandemic while receiving treatment at the FMC, Azare. 

Reacting to the mysterious deaths in the area, the Deputy Governor explained that it is a seasonal thing in the area especially during the hot season when people with underlying illnesses get complications which always result to their deaths, stressing that the deaths are not in any way related to COVID-19 pandemic. 

He said that what is happening in Azare is a spillover from Kano considering the proximity of the Northern zone of the state to Kano and Jigawa states, where the mysterious deaths are taking place, adding however that medical experts are working round the clock to ascertain the disease and its causes. 

Tela said that as at Saturday, May 9, 2020, only 26 patients are on admission at the FMC, Azare having tested positive to COVID-19 while a few others have been quarantined awaiting the results of their sample test. 

Tela assured that government is doing everything possible to reduce the number of infections in the state, adding that the facilities FMC Azare will be expanded to ensure that the infection is curtailed. 

A former member of the House of Representatives, who represented Katagum federal constituency, Ibrahim Mohammed Baba had said that over 100 people have died within the last one week in Azare due to COVID-19.

Baba in a letter he wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari dated May 8, 2020, through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, said that the situation has thrown the entire area into great mourning, panic and confusion among others.

Similarly, a resident of Azare, Musa Azare, in a letter addressed to the Bauchi Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, said that as at Thursday, there were over 301 fresh graves at the Azare cemetery.

Musa expressed concern that what was more worrisome was the way people accompany corpses for burial, pointing out that it was in total disobedience to government’s directives on COVID-19 protocols.

He said: “Information reaching me from Azare says that as at yesterday (Friday) there were 301 fresh graves in the Azare cemetery, dug in the last 14 days. I have verified this information from multiple sources. Equally of serious concern is the way people escort their dead ones to the cemetery. No observance of any counter-measure against the Covid-19 pandemic.”