Major General John Olu Irefin, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Six Division of the Nigerian Army, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, has died of complications from COVID-19.
Late General Irefin was also land component commander, Operation Delta Safe.
A media report has it that he buried his mother two weeks ago in Ayetoro Gbede, Kogi State.
Irefin was GOC 81 Division in Lagos before his posting to Port Harcourt in July 2020.
The GOC was attending the annual Chief of Army Staff Conference in Abuja before he took ill and died.
The conference has been cancelled by the Army and participants comprising Principal Staff Officers, GOCs, commandants of Army schools, commanders of Army operations have been asked to go into isolation for 14 days.
Brigadier General Sagir Musa, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, announced the cancellation of the conference in a statement on Thursday, saying it was to prevent any further spread of the disease.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to inform members of the public that due to resurgence of COVID 19 Pandemic in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja in what appears to be a second wave of infection cycle and the unfortunate incident on Tuesday 8 December 2020, where an officer participating in the ongoing Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference 2020 here in Abuja tested positive to COVID 19, the remaining activities of the conference have therefore been immediately cancelled,” he said.
“All the participants have been mandated to immediately proceed on self-isolation in line with the Federal Government’s protocol for COVID 19 and to prevent any further spread of the disease.
“All inconveniences hereby regretted, please. Thanks for your usual understanding and cooperation.”
