BREAKING: COVID-19 Kills Top Army GOC, As Army Headquarters Cancels CoAS’ Annual Confab

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Major General Johnson Olubunmi Irefin, has been reported dead from Coronavirus related illness.

BIGPENNGR.COM can authoritatively report that Major General Irefin died Thursday morning in Abuja after falling ill last night.

He was among the top echelon of the Nigerian Army that were attending the cancelled Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference 2020 in Abuja.

Sadly, General Irefin buried his mother two weeks ago.

Several efforts by one of our correspondent to get comment from Acting Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Sagir Musa as of the time of filling this story proved abortive.

A top military source who confirmed the death of the GOC anonymously, however lamented that there is fear that several other top ranking army officers must have contracted the virus which killed the GOC in a speed of light during the night.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has cancelled the ongoing Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference 2020 in Abuja after an undisclosed army officer tested positive to COVID 19.

Army spokesman, Sagir Musa, in a statement directed all participants in the conference to immediately proceed on self isolation in line with the Federal Government’s protocol for COVID 19 and to prevent any further spread of the disease.

The statement is reproduced in full below:

CANCELLATION OF THE REMAINING ACTIVITIES OF CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF’s ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2020

1. The Nigerian Army wishes to inform members of the public that due to resurgence of COVID 19 Pandemic in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja in what appears to be a second wave of infection cycle and the unfortunate incident on Tuesday 8 December 2020, where an officer participating in the ongoing Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference 2020 here in Abuja tested positive to COVID 19, the remaining activities of the conference have therefore been immediately cancelled. All the participants have been mandated to immediately proceed on self isolation in line with the Federal Government’s protocol for COVID 19 and to prevent any further spread of the disease.

2. All inconveniences hereby regretted please. Thanks for your usual understanding and cooperation please.

SAGIR MUSA
Brigadier General
Acting Director Army Public Relations
10 December 2020