The Bauchi State deputy governor, Baba Tela, has said multiple deaths in Azare under Katagum Local Government Area were not caused by Coronavirus but “normal and seasonal.”
Tela, who is also the Chairman of the Task Force on COVID-19, made this known on Saturday while giving an update on the pandemic in the state.
He said, “Following investigation of reports that there were multiple deaths of Coronavirus patients in Azare, we only confirmed that only one death of COVID-19 patient was recorded at the FMC, Azare. 
“I went to the cemetery to investigate the report of multiple deaths in Azare but I confirmed that it was normal and seasonal deaths.
“We agree that most of the deaths occurred within the same age brackets with those deaths recorded in Kano. The reason is that Kano, Jigawa and Azare have the same peculiarities.”
Ibrahim Baba, a former member of the House of Representatives from Bauchi, had written a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari over the “massive outbreak of Coronavirus” in Azare.
In the letter dated May 8, 2020, Baba said Azare had recorded over 100 COVID-19 deaths in the last one week.
He said this had resulted in panic and confusion among residents, appealing to the President to direct the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to visit the town.
