COVID-19: Tinubu Tested as Aide Dies on Way to Hospital

Matilda Omonaiye/

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been tested for COVID-19, following the mysterious death of his Chief Security Officer, ASP Lateef Kareem.

Tinubu reportedly took the test today along with his personal aides as a precautionary step. The result is expected on Monday.

NewsmakersNG learnt that Kareem died while being rushed to the hospital.

He was 51.

According to sources, he was brought in dead by his family and relations to Orile-Agege General Hospital, last night.

His body was immediately transferred to the hospital morgue.

Reports say Kareem, a trusted long-time aide of Tinubu, had been battling diabetes and high blood pressure for long.

He was at work on Monday and had excused himself when he found out he was feeling sick.

Those who saw him early in the week could not believe when the news filtered in that he had died.

His remains were buried in his compound at Maplewood Estate, Oko-Oba, Agege.

In a tribute, Tinubu praised the late police officer who had been with him before he became governor of Lagos state in 1999.

He stated: “Lateef reported for work on Monday. Feeling a bit under the weather, he went home to rest. We spoke on Wednesday by phone. He was in fine spirits and was looking forward to resuming work.

“I felt nothing but profound shock, and then the emptiness of deep loss when I was awakened early Friday that my most trusted security aide had died and that I would never see him again. I did not know the Wednesday conversation would be our last. The pain of his loss is acute.”

When Raheem was seconded to Tinubu ahead of the 1999 governorship election, he was a corporal and had only a secondary school certificate.

“Because of his thirst for knowledge and personal improvement, he subsequently acquired a university degree. He did not stop there. He kept growing.  When he passed, Lateef had risen to the level of Assistant Superintendent of Police,” he stated.

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