The viral report that Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Tanko Muhammad contracted COVID-19 on Tuesday, December 15, has been dismissed by the Supreme Court judge’s media aide, Festus Akande.
In a statement that rebutted the claim, Akande on Tuesday said that the CJN is not seriously sick as claimed by many media houses, Punch reports.
The CJN’s spokesman was reacting to the report by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa of the apex court that Muhammad has tested positive for the virus.
He argued that so far no one can provide any medical evidence that the CJN has been infected with the pandemic.
Akande said:
“In furtherance to the press statement earlier issued, I wish to state categorically clear that there is no medical report so far made available by anybody indicating that the Hon. CJN has tested positive for Coronavirus.
“Those peddling the rumour should go a step further to confirm from their sources and equally obtain the copy of whatever laboratory test result they are relying on.
“As of this moment of issuing this statement, no one has so far shown me or any other person in Supreme Court a copy of the test result they are referring to in the report.”
Earlier, the court disclosed that Muhammad had contracted the COVID-19 infection. Justice Saulawa made the disclosure on Tuesday, December 15, in Abuja.
He told the audience at the national headquarters of the Muslim Lawyers’ Association of Nigeria (MULAN) that Justice Muhammad is presently undergoing COVID-19 treatment in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
The CJN was absent at the swearing-in of 72 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria on Monday, December 14.
