Justice Ajanah died a natural death, not COVID-19, says Yahaya Bello

The clarification came on the heels of speculations that the late legal luminary showed symptoms akin to that of COVID-19.

The speculations heightened when the late chief judge was buried in Abuja according to the novel coronavirus pandemic protocols.

However, speaking on Tuesday in Lokoja during the 3-day fidau prayer for the repose of the late Justice Ajanah, Governor Bello said the chief judge has been in and out of the hospital due to an ailment long before COVID-19 spread to Nigeria.

The governor insisted that the pandemic has become a political tool used to create fear and panic across the country, adding that people died from the fear than the disease itself.

He called on the people of the State to discountenance the speculation that the late chief judge died of COVID-19, insisting that the State is free of the pandemic.

“Nothing kills faster like fear, people should not accept cut and paste. COVID-19 is only out to create fear, panic, pandemic. It is a disease orchestrated to reduce and shorten the lifespan of the people

“Whether medical experts and scientist, believe it or not, COVID-19 is out to shorten the lifestyle of the people, it is a disease propagated by force for Nigerians to accept,” he noted.

The governor described the late Ajanah as an outstanding jurist who left a memorable imprint on the legal profession in the country and a lover of peace and prayed Almighty Allah to grant him Aljanah fridaus.

Earlier in a sermon, Justice Nurudeen Khalifa, an Islamic scholar, urged Nigerians to fear God pointing out that every man has a reward after death.

In a remark, one of the brothers of late Ajanah, Hon. Kabiru Ajanah and member of House of Representatives thanked the state government for its support during the family’s trying times.

He described the demise of his late brother as shocking and painful, adding that the family is condoled by the many legacies of integrity and commitment to service he left behind.

Citing the circumstance leading to the death of the late Justice, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP had on Monday blamed the Kogi State Government of not demonstrating the required capacity to guarantee the health and safety of the people in the state from coronavirus.

The State government, however, described the PDP’s allegation as  “pedestrian and irresponsible”, saying it “is yet to declare itself as a COVID-19 marketing agent”.

Meanwhile, the authorities of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada have not responded to enquiries about the true cause of death the late chief justice.

Calls to the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Bissallah Ekele were not answered while and he did not also respond to text messages sent to him for confirmation of the development.

However, a reliable source at the hospital told this reporter that the late Kogi Chief Judge died from complications of COVID-19 at the hospital’ s isolation centre.

According to the source, Ajana was hidden at the VIP section of the isolation centre during his treatment because of Kogi state government’s stance on COVID-19.

The state government had repeatedly maintained that the state does not have any case of COVID-19.

The source said Ajana was hospitalised at the isolation centre for some days but died early Sunday morning.

Our reporter gathered that some Kogi state government officials under the cover of the night brought court-related documents to the late Chief Judge to sign two days before his demise.