The late Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, was hours from being discharged from the hospital on Friday before his condition unexpectedly took a twist and he never recovered, The Nation gathered on Sunday.
Kyari died at First Cardiology Consultants Hospital in Lagos on Friday from what the Lagos State government yesterday described as complications of Coronavirus infection.
Witnesses told The Nation yesterday of massive police presence at the private facility on the fateful day, apparently after he was certified dead.
Sources said Kyari had shown signs of recovery which was a sign that he could be discharged only for his condition to take a plunge.
It was learnt that he even received some members of his family Wednesday in the hospital and walked around his isolation area to show his fitness.
Members of the family were said to be expecting his discharge on Friday.
The complications in his health were said to have arisen from diabetes and respiratory tract infections.
The Lagos State government confirmed last night that Kyari died of complications.
It was also learnt that the late Chief of Staff neither consulted the Presidential Task Force on the campaign against COVID-19 nor the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) deciding on private treatment in Lagos.
Officials of PTF and NCDC only read the announcement of his relocation to a private hospital in Lagos like other Nigerians.
It was gathered that he did not avail himself of expertise advice by NCDC and medical teams.
A source said the family was confident that Kyari would survive the Coronavirus Disease.
The source said: “As at Wednesday, Kyari was seen walking round his isolation area when some members of his family came on a visit. His health improvement gave a ray of hope that he was fast recovering.
“In fact, words had gone round to his relations that he might be discharged on Friday. But he died following relapse, occasioned by diabetes and respiratory tract infections in the evening of Friday. How his condition changed for the worse shocked all the medics around him. He died between 9pm and 10 pm.
“So, he died of COVID-19 and underlying factors or complications.”