Some residents of  Kano city, Kano State capital, were on Monday concerned about the increased burials at cemeteries in the town.

The residents, particularly people living near cemeteries, in separate interviews with news correspondents, said there had been increased activities in the cemeteries as more corpses were brought there for burial.

They feared that this might not be unconnected with the spread of COVID-19 to the state, which had 36 cases of the virus as of Sunday.

A resident of the Farm Centre told one of our correspondents  on condition of anonymity that he witnessed about 26 burials at the cemetery in the area within the last two days.

Another resident, Jafar Lawal, popularly known as Sarki, said  that between Friday and Monday, he witnessed no fewer than 10 burials at the Farm Centre cemetery.

Sarki said, “From Friday morning to late Sunday, I witnessed more than seven burials while the remaining  three were done today in the morning. So, all in all, from Friday to date, I witnessed 10 different burials at the cemetery.”

Some attendants and undertakers at the Dandolo Cemetery in the Goron Dutse  area of the metropolis, confirmed that 61 bodies were buried between Saturday and Sunday.

Also, at the Gyadi-gyadi Cemetery, located at Court Road, no fewer than 31 bodies were said to have been buried on Saturday.

Sources said the Abattoir Cemetery recorded the burial of 13 bodies, said to have been brought from Zango Quarters within three days last week.

But the state government on Monday dismissed the rumour of mass death in Kano. It also said it was investigating increased burials at the cemeteries and causes of the deaths.

The state government, in a statement by state Health Educator/ Secretary, Risk Communication Sub-Committee on COVID-19, Mr uwalu Fagge, said, “This  particular rumour has been investigated and found to be untrue and must be dispelled.”

The state Commissioners of Health, Mr Aminu Tsanyawa said the ministry had commenced an investigation into the posts being circulated on social media on the purported death of a number of people within the last few days.

Public Relations Officer of the ministry, Mrs Hadiza Namadi in a statement on Monday, said, “The attention of Kano State Ministry of Health has been drawn to a post being circulated on social media platforms on purported death of a number of people within two days and buried in some cemeteries within Kano metropolis.

“As the ministry could not immediately verify the veracity of the claim going round, the state Commissioner of Health, Tsanyawa, hereby assures the general public that investigation into the matter is ongoing to verify the claim and possible causes of the deaths.

Punch