SGF, health minister, NCDC DG appear before reps over Kano deaths

Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), and Osagie Ehanire, minister of health are currently before the house of representatives to brief the assembly on the strange deaths in Kano state.

The duo, who came alongside Chikwe Ihekweazu, the director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Tuesday, are to also brief the house on efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Since recording its first case of the disease on April 11, Kano has been experiencing strange deaths which the state government initially said was not related to the virus.

A presidential task force later linked majority of the deaths in the state to COVID-19.

After debating a motion on the deaths last week, the lawmakers resolved to summon the trio to seek answers to the challenge and find ways of addressing the pandemic in Nigeria.

They had also sought the inclusion of traditional and religious leaders in efforts to manage the health crisis.

Kano has so far recorded 365 of 2,802 coronavirus cases in Nigeria, according to the NCDC.