By Gabriel Dike Lukman Olabiyi, Romanus Okoye, Faith Awa Maji, Lafia and Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has lost his younger brother, Haroun, to COVID-19.
It was gathered that the deceased, who was a medical doctor, was 37 years old.
Until his death, he worked at a primary healthcare centre in Orile Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of the state.
In a statement, Lagos chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) said the incident has cast a ‘dark moment’ over the association.
“We announce with deep regret the death of our very young colleague, Haroun Hamzat. It’s ‘sunset at dawn’ as he was just 37 years old.
“We commiserate with his immediate family, friends, associates, colleagues, and staff of Lagos State PHC board and, indeed, the medical fraternity of Lagos State. We pray against such premature deaths in our fold,” NMA said in the statement.
In the same vein, former dean, Students Affairs and immediate past registrar of Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB), Duro Ajeyalemi, is dead.
Ajeyalemi died in a Lagos hospital as a result of COVID-19 complications, he was 70 and retired from the services of UNILAG in November 2020.
His death is coming less than 72 hours after a former vice chancellor of the university, Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, died in Lagos due to COVID-19 complications.
A colleague in the Faculty of Education said: “In three days, we have lost two professors. Ajeyalemi died this morning in a Lagos hospital from COVID-19 complications. Both are from Ijesa in Osun State.
“Those who said coronavirus is a scam should learn from the death of the professors from COVID-19 complications. It is real and we need to observe all the protocols.”
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Chairman, Dele Ashiru, described Ajeyalemi’s death as unfortunate and a great loss.
“We lost two intellectuals within three days. This is hard to take. Ajeyalemi was a distinguished scholar, to die like that is a big blow to the academia. The university community and the Nigerian University System will certainly miss him,” he said.
