Agaju Madugba, Katsina
There are strong indications that the Emir of Daura, Umar Farouk Umar, may have contracted coronavirus disease following his admission at the Intensive Care Unit of the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina.
Governor Aminu Bello Masari disclosed last Monday that the palace was filled with several cases of confirmed COVID-19 while independent sources confirmed the death of, at least, six persons, including a high ranking palace chief, from complications of coronavirus infection, last weekend.
Masari said as at last Sunday, the entire palace was sealed off and the emir virtually held hostage while some 89 samples from palace residents were collected for investigation by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
But for the emir, the situation apparently degenerated yesterday as reports said he was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina, some 70 kilometres from Daura town, at about 1 am.
The monarch’s journey to the hospital may have, indeed, begun in early April following the death of the Katsina State COVID-19 index case, a medical doctor, Aliyu Yakubu, who was based in Daura.
Yakubu, who hailed from Kogi State, was the emir’s personal physician.
A government source, who pleaded anonymity, described the emir’s travail as ‘classic case of negligence’, explaining that the Emirate had all the opportunity to handle and control the issue, “which has now turned to a disaster for all of us. It is on record that the late Katsina COVID-19 index case was the emir’s personal doctor and it is also on record that the late doctor interacted with the emir, including administration of injections on the emir.
“A few days after the doctor’s death, his widow and two children tested positive for COVID-19 and they began treatment and these were clear signs for the emir to have taken measures to protect himself and the palace,” the source said.
Instead, according to reports, the 89 years old emir, took another wife within the period, from Kano, and bestowed on her the traditional title of ‘Giwar Sarki’, at an elaborate ceremony at the palace, against the prevailing rules of physical distancing, to check COVID-19 spread.
Apart from the dance jamboree for the new wife, the emir, also early last week, held another ceremony on the palace grounds, reportedly handing out COVID-19 palliative packages to several hundreds of Daura residents, again flouting the physical distancing and anti-crowd rules.
While defending government’s decision to seal off the palace, Masari said: “We had to take that action to protect the people and also enable us take samples from all persons residing in the palace. So far, we have taken samples of 89 persons from the palace.”
Meanwhile, Governor Masari has ordered the shutdown of Rimi and Malumfashi local government areas following a confirmation of COVID-19 cases there.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, the public enlightenment sub-committee of the Katsina State COVID-19 Committee, said the lockdown in the affected areas would take effect from 7am today.