President Muhammadu Buhari

Azare, the second biggest town in Bauchi State was in the news last Thursday when it was reported that one of its prominent indigenes, Justice Dahiru Saleh, a former federal judge, popular for his infamous role in  annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election had passed on.

Reports indicated that the over 80 years retired judge died from COVID-19 complications.

But a former member of House of Representatives, Ibrahim Mohammed Baba, has raised alarm that about 100 persons may have also succumbed to COVID-19 in Azare in the past one week.

He said this in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari published on Saturday.

Baba, who represented Katagum Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives said the the ravaging  pandemic has killed about 100 people in the town so far, a situation he said, has resulted into panic and confusion.

He noted that  the centrality and proximity of Azare to Bauchi, Kano and some major cities in Jigawa State made the people of the town susceptible to the virus.

The letter reads, “Your Excellency, I write to draw your kind attention to the massive outbreak of Coronavirus in Azare town and environs in Bauchi State, which has already resulted in over 100 fatalities in the last one week and this has thrown the entire area into great mourning, panic and confusion.

“The centrality and proximity of Azare to Bauchi, Kano and some major cities of Jigawa State make the town’s large population susceptible to the virus due to the already existing large cases of the disease in those areas.

“Consequently therefore, I wish to appeal to your Excellency to direct the Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control and the Presidential Task force on COVID-19 to urgently reach out to Azare town with all the necessary facilities and palliatives to assist the communities there.

“And to help in this expected effort, may I draw your attention to the fact that at the Opthamology unit and laboratory have already been built and equipped by the Central Bank of Nigeria at the Azare Federal Medical Centre since 2013 but have not been commissioned and put to use up till now. This facility can be repurposed to a COVID-19 test and treatment centre provided the right equipments are added, including ventilators.

“As a matter of life and death, I have the utmost trust in your sense of patriotism and commitment to the well-being of Nigerians that you will assist the beleaguered people of Azare town and environs to overcome this harrowing situation.”