Setting The Record Straight On Nigerian Man Who Allegedly Died Of “COVID-19” In Houston Texas, USA

Some days ago, a social media user shared a video on his Twitter page. In the said video some men and couple of women were partying, dancing and merry making in front of a celestial church in Houston in the state of Texas in United States.

Most of the men and women in the video were decked in the popular celestial silk robe worn by members of the denomination. however, one of the men was in mufti — a traditional attire sewn with Ankara fabric.

The man in Ankara was the cynosure of the video as he was dancing graciously with one of the women who fondly called him ‘egbon mi’, my older brother.

In a separate broadcast message that went viral on the popular instant messaging app, WhatsApp, it was averred that the man in native attire had died of the virulent COVID-19 disease. Looking at how the man and others in the video were in close proximity without any protective medical gear, such message is capable of striking debilitating fear in the mind of those with the man in the video, and their families too has they might have unwittingly contracted the disease.

Even though social media and instant messaging platforms are putting in place measures to curb the menace of fake news and its devastating effects, the battle against the spread of misinformation and falsehoods is far from being won, and we might not hear the last the scourge even in years to come.

In order to authenticate the veracity of this claim, EkoHotBlog embarked on a fact-finding mission as we are heavily invested in what goes on in the lives of Nigerians in Diaspora —especially in US — as we are in that of those who live within the shores of Nigeria.

EkoHotBlog had separate exclusive interviews with those who were seen in the video dancing with the man who purportedly died of COVID-19.

In the interview, they refuted, in strong terms, the claims that the man died of coronavirus.

They disclosed that the man died of a heart attack and not coronavirus, adding he had several pre-existing health issues, including diabetes and high blood pressure, which are not uncommon with people of his age.

They noted that, before his death, he had sought medical assistance from a doctor who happened to be a member of the church for mediation prescription and health advisories.

By the same token, everyone with the man in the video had taken the COVID-19 test and it came back negative.

‘We have all taken the coronavirus test and we are okay, we are not position, if anything at all, it only goes to show that our brother did not die of coronavirus as being speculated” One of them who pleaded anonymity said.

They also expressed their gratitude to everyone who reached out to them for the love, concern and support during the troubling moments.

However, the purveyor of misinformation who shared the unpleasant broadcast message to instil fear in members of the public had since recanted his information and tendered an apology.

It is rather unfortunate we are living in a new normal, new world when deaths are attributed to COVID 19, where people are dressed down with the gaze of suspicious over exhibition of mild symptoms.

It is even a taboo to sneeze and cough without being a COVID 19/suspect.

Below is the video of the man and others before his death.