Residents of Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, have expressed concerns after the whereabouts of former governor of the state, Ali Modu Sheriff, became a subject of debate.

SaharaReporters gathered that Sheriff had refused to make himself available for COVID-19 test despite meeting two prominent citizens of the state, who died of the virus recently.

A member of the state prevention and response team said the former governor was one of the contacts being traced and linked up with late former governor, Mohammed Goni, and Shehu of Bama, Alhaji Kyari Elkanemi, who both died of the virus. 

Both Goni and Elkanemi had had last week attended the funeral of Sheriff’s late father, Galadima Modu Sheriff, in Maiduguri where social distancing rules were broken by attendees.

Also, during the three days of mourning, they were said to have had meetings with Sheriff at his father’s residence and his private residence in GRA Maiduguri.

But a source close to the former governor said he had fled to Abuja to avoid health officials especially from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the state’s COVID-19 prevention and team from taking his sample for test.

“We are surprised that someone like him would be afraid to get tested. They called him several times to make himself available for testing but he refused. He deceived them and ran away to Abuja with few of his aides.

“This is someone who had different meetings with the late Goni,” the source said.