At least 18 Nigerian Army generals have tested positive for COVID-19, military sources have claimed.
According to Channels Television, the generals contracted the killer virus after they earlier came in contact with Major General Olu Irefin who died from COVID-19 complications last week.
The affected senior army officers were attendees of the 2020 Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja, who were tested by officials of the NCDC.
The late General Irefin had reportedly visited some of his colleagues at home before he attended the conference.
As a result, all the officers who attended the conference, their wives, and other members of their families who live with them, have been directed to isolate themselves for a week by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
The venue of the aborted conference – the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Asokoro – has also been decontaminated by health officials at the weekend.
Major General Irefin fell ill at the 2020 Chief of Army Staff Conference last week and was taken to the hospital.
He was later confirmed to be positive for COVID-19 and was receiving treatment before he died.
Irefin was the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division of the Army in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The incident had forced the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, to cancel most invitations to his son’s wedding last Friday as well as the Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference 2020 in Abuja.
Sagir Musa, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, had said in a statement that Buratai and all senior army officers had immediately proceeded on self-isolation in line with the NCDC protocol for COVID-19 and to prevent any further spread of the disease.
