‘Why Top Officials Were Denied Access To Villa After Kyari’s Burial’

The Presidency yesterday explained that the decision by security officials to bar attendees of the burial ceremony of the late Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, from entering the State House was standard protocol.
This explanation was given following reports that senior State House officials were denied access into the Presidential Villa, Abuja after attending the burial ceremony, which included prayers on the corpse of Kyari at the Defense Guest House in Maitama and and interment at Gudu Cemetery.
An online medium, Sahara Reporters, had claimed that key aides to President Muhammadu Buhari, who attended the burial of the late Chief of Staff, incurred the President’s displeasure for allegedly violating Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC) regulations, especially social distancing.
According to the report, among those who attended the burial and were turned back from accessing the State House were State House Chief Protocol Officer, Ambassador Lawal Kazaure, Special Assistant to the President, Yusuf Sabiu (AKA, tunde) a nephew to the President, Musa Haro Daura, and Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the, Garba Shehu.
Others are National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, Mr Ahmad Rufai, and Personal Assistant on New Media to President Buhari, Bashir Ahmed, among several more persons.
Mallam Abba Kyari had died of complications from the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease in a Lagos hospital and was buried in Abuja on Saturday.