Chief of staff to president Muhammadu Buhari, mallam Abba Kyari was buried today, Saturday, April 18, 2020 in Abuja.
Personal assistant on new media to President Buhari, Basir Ahmad, announced on Saturday morning that Kyari will be buried in Abuja.
Kyari was buried at Gudu Cemetery in Abuja on Saturday morning .
A statement signed earlier today by the special adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Mr. Femi Adesina announced the passage of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari.
The statement reads: “The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging COVID-19, and had been receiving treatment. But he died on Friday, April 17, 2020.
May God accept his soul.
Funeral arrangements will be announced shortly”.
Kyari, who had underlying health problems, including diabetes, was one of the high ranking politicians in Nigeria, one of the most powerful men in the country and the top official aide to President Muhammadu Buhari.
He was said to have contracted the COVID-19 while on an official trip to Germany in March.
He was confirmed to have contracted the virus on March 23, though it was revealed March 30.
It was announced that he died of COVID-19 on Friday 17th April, 2020.
A Kanuri from Borno, not much is known about his early life.
In 1980, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Warwick, and also received a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Cambridge. In 1983, he was called to the Nigerian Bar after attending the Nigerian Law School.
In 1984, he obtained a master’s degree in law from the University of Cambridge.
He later attended the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland and participated in the Program for Management Development at the Harvard Business School, in 1992 and 1994, respectively.
Kyari was married to the sister-in-law of Ibrahim Tahir, and had four children.
Kyari worked for the law firm Fani-Kayode and Sowemimo for some time after his return to Nigeria.
From 1988 to 1990, he was Editor with the New Africa Holdings Limited Kaduna.
In 1990, he served as a Commissioner for Forestry and Animal Resources in Borno State.
From 1990 to 1995, Kyari was the secretary to the board of African International Bank Limited, a subsidiary of Bank of Credit and Commerce International.
Kyari was an executive director in charge of management services at the United Bank for Africa, and was later appointed the chief executive officer.
In 2002, he was appointed a board director of Unilever Nigeria, and later served on the board of Exxon Mobil Nigeria.
In August 2015, Kyari was appointed Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Kyari was an influential figure within the Buhari administration.
During the administration’s first term, he worked mainly behind the scenes to implement the president’s agenda.
In 2019 with Buhari’s re-election for a second term, he ordered his cabinet to channel all requests through Kyari’s office.
Further enhancing his influence within government circles, and being labelled as the de facto head of government.
In 2017, following a leaked memo, Kyari became embroiled in a public argument with the Head of Civil Service, who was later removed from office and arrested.
In 2020, in another leaked memo, Babagana Monguno the National Security Adviser accused Kyari of meddling in matters of national security.
Kyari died at First Cardiology Consultants Hospital, Lagos on 17 April 2020, he died from complications related to COVID-19.
