The Kano State Government said it has begun investigation into claims that there was a surge in deaths and burials in Kano metropolis amid coronavirus pandemic.
A report said over 150 people were buried between Friday and Sunday at cemeteries in Kano.
A mystery illness was blamed for the deaths. The report of the death surge is trending in social media.
And it came as Kano recorded an increase in coronavirus cases.
At the last count by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Kano has 59 confirmed cases and one death.
Twenty of the cases were recorded on Monday by NCDC, making the state the third worst-hit by the virus, after Lagos and FCT.
Dr Tijjani Hussaini, Executive Secretary, Kano State Primary Healthcare Board, said medics were yet to ascertain the medical cause of the said deaths,
Hussaini said that the investigation was focusing on the symptoms exhibited by the victims before giving up.
“We want to know the number of persons already dead.
“We also want to investigate how they died”.
“It is when we have a good idea; it is when we get the outcome of the findings that we can properly draw conclusions and brief the public,” he said.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Aminu Tsanyawa, said that the ministry had embarked on clinical investigation to unravel the cause of the said deaths.
Tsanyawa advised residents not to panic.
He urging them to observe preventive measures and personal hygiene, while complying with the stay-at-home order.
“The ministry is aware of social media reports insinuating mass deaths in the metropolis. We will soon address the issue,” he said.
Prof. Isa Abubakar, Director, Centre for Infectious Diseases (CID), Bayero University Kano (BUK), said that the rising number of deaths recorded during the lockdown may not necessarily be linked to COVID-19 pandemic.
Abubakar, who is also an expert in Public Health and Community Medicine, added that the increasing rate of deaths could be attributed to other reasons.
In other news, President Buhari has lost another aide. One of President Muhammadu Buhari’s bodyguards, Warrant Officer Lawal Mato, passed away on Tuesday.
He was the second presidential aide to be taken away by death, days after chief of staff, Mallam Abba Kyari died.