Army Chief dies of COVID-19 while attending Chief of Army Staff Conference

An army general, Olu Irefin, has died from COVID-19, military sources have told Premium Times.

Mr Irefin, a major-general, was a participant at the army’s 2020 COAS Annual Conference in Abuja during which he fell ill and was taken to the hospital on Tuesday evening. He later tested positive for COVID-19 and was receiving treatment before he died.

The late Mr Irefin was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Port Harcourt in Rivers State.

Until his appointment in July 2020 as the GOC in Port Harcourt, the deceased was the GOC 81 Division Nigerian Army in Lagos.

Army spokesperson, Sagir Musa, did not respond to calls and text messages for confirmation of the late general’s identity.