…Retired banker dies of COVID-19 complications

By Bashir Bello & Abdulmumin Murtala

Four more prominent persons have died in Kano State in the last twenty-four hours.They include Alhaji Aliyu Daneji, father of National Coordinator, Presidential Task Force, PTF On COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, who died at the age of 96 on Wednesday night in Kano.

Son of the deceased, Mahmud Daneji, who confirmed the death, said Alhaji Aliyu Daneji died after a protracted illness.

However, the funeral prayers was observed early yesterday at his residence at Sabuwar Kofar, close to Kwalli Primary School, in Kano Municipal after which he was buried according to Islamic rites.

Late Alhaji Aliyu Daneji was a former Permanent Secretary, Kano State, Ministry of Finance from 1972 – 1975.

Similarly, a younger brother to the late AVM Hamza Abdullahi, identified as Alhaji Isah Abdullahi, also passed away, just as Alhaji Aminu Galadanchi was also confirmed to have died in the early hours of yesterday.

Abubakar Galadanchi said his uncle, Aminu, died at the age of 57 and had since been buried at the Goron Dutse cemetery.

Also a retired Director/Senior Manager with the defunct Bank of the North, Rufai Abdulmalik, died yesterday of COVID-19 complications in Kano.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the late banker had been on self- isolation upon return from a condolence visit to Dr. Aliyu’s family who died of COVID -19 in Katsina.

Late Dr. Aliyu Yakubu,whose death was announced by Katsina State government, was an in-law to Rufai Abdulmalik and a distant cousin as both hailed from Kogi royal family.

The source further explained that “upon his return from Daura, and subsequent confirmation by Governor Masari that Dr. Aliyu died of coronavirus, he took to self-isolation over the last 14 days”

He said “just yesterday evening, we noticed COVID-19 symptoms and rushed him to health facility only for him to give up the ghost.”

Confirming his death in a telephone conversation, Tiijjani Aliyu, cousin to late Abdulmalik, said: “I’ve just received the sad news and I’m heading to the hospital to join the Ohinoyi of Ebira community to evacuate his remains for proper burial.”

Alhaji Sadiq said arrangement was currently on to bury him.

Recall that the PTF National Coordinator, Dr. Sani Aliyu, had on the matching order of President Muhammadu Buhari, led a powerful delegation to Kano State on Tuesday to give a helping hand to unravel the cause of the sudden deaths in the state and also contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

-Vanguard