By Soni Daniel – Abuja


Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, says he is not dead but only stuck in London due to the clampdown on international travel as a result of the raging COVID-19 pandemic. Reports that Na’Abba is dead had been trending on social media, causing apprehension across the world.


But Na’Abba told one of our correspondents on the phone from London that he had not died but was only being stuck in the British capital due to the restriction on international flights as part of the measures to contain the Coronavirus spread.


I’m not dead as reported by some media today,”the former lawmaker said.

The denial by Na’aba came as the Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, strongly condemned the media reports of one of their own without being verified.

The Spokesman for CNG, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said in a Statement to Vanguard that the masterminds of the report of the former speakers’ death needed to be cautious in their reportage.

Suleiman said: “It has come to our knowledge that news of the death of a prominent northern elder, and a former House of Representatives Speaker, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, has been trending online for several hours.

“Quite unfortunately, the report has been lifted by a few respectable mainstream media adding weight to it.

“The CNG wishes to state that Na’Abba is very much alive and healthy contrary to the fabricated reports.

“We have been in constant personal contact with Mr Na’Abbah since the report broke.

“We categorically state that the reports are completely wrong, unfounded and mischievous.

“We call on the media operators and their executives to note that the report is downright fake, and the true position is that Naabbah is quite well and we’ve been in contact,” said CNG.