The Chief of Staff and a right-hand man to Nigeria’s President Buhari, Abba Kyari, has died of Covid-19.

His demise was confirmed in a press statement shares on Twitter by Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, saying the deceased died after battling the coronavirus.

 

The Presidency regrets to announce the passage of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari.

— Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) April 17, 2020

The statement reads in full:

“The Presidency regrets to announce the passage of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari.”

“The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging COVID-19, and had been receiving treatment. But he died on Friday, April 17, 2020.”

“May God accept his soul. Funeral arrangements will be announced shortly.”

He was known to be one of the most influential figures in the Buhari government. He was first appointed as his Chief of Staff on August 27, 2015, and reappointed him on July 5, 2019, after Buhari won his second term bid as president.

Kyari‘s battle with the virus started on arrival from Germany after he and the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, met with Siemens officials to broker a power deal with the company.