Olumide Okunuga: All you need to know about the Nigerian doctor who died in Italy, not Canada
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health, Olorunnibe Mamora, on Monday, broke the news of an Italy-based Nigerian doctor Olumide Okunuga who ‘died of coronavirus in Canada’. The news soon went viral, but the minister’s information about the victim were not accurate.
Mamora was briefing newsmen in Abuja on Monday on how the federal government is handling COVID-19 in the country when he made reference to Okunuga.
Contrary to reports that Okunuga died in Canada, he died in his home in Modena a city in Emilia-Romagna, in northern Italy. Italy has become the epicenter of coronavirus outbreak in Europe with over 27,000 confirmed cases and over 2000 deaths.
According to Gazzette di Modena, on Tuesday March 10, Okunuga’s lifeless body was found on the floor of his apartment in via Morselli 9, where he lived alone since he separated from his wife.
64 years old Dr Olumide Saraju Okunuga, an alumnus of one of the foremost private schools in Nigeria – Mayflower School Ikenne, in Ogun State, was a pathologist and an indigene of Ikenne Remo.
His LinkedIn profile says he was born on October 21 and worked with the Federal Ministry of Finance in Lagos between February 1975 and December 1978 before leaving the country.
He studied medicine, specialising in Pathology, at the University of Bologna in Italy from 1982 to 1990. He was the President of Egbe Omo Yoruba Emilia-Romagna and the Vice President of Yoruba National Community Italy.
He was an Italian citizen and had been living in Modena for over thirty years where he actively participated in the social and associative life of the city. He was elected Councillor for Modena twice. For 15 years, he lived on the first floor of the building where he died. He was former vice president of the Foreigners Council of Modena.
His friend who stopped by his windows everyday for a greeting called the local police of Modena when he noticed the window blind was rolled down and was not receiving any response when he passed by on Tuesday morning. The friend became suspicious and raised the alarm. Firefighters and health workers came into action inside the apartment but the reasons for the death were not clear.They intervened by adopting the measures and protections provided for by the anti-coronavirus protocol. This fuelled suspicions that Okunuga may have died of coronavirus.
Reports say there were no signs of violence or break-ins in the house, nor traces of blood but Okunuga had been battling with congenital disease before the time of his sickness. He had been at home for several days because he was not well, but was not subjected to isolation.
Meanwhile, Gazzette di Modena reports that the magistrate has ordered an autopsy be performed on Okunuga’s body to check for any positivity to Covid-19.
His sister, Kehinde Ayotola Okunuga while mourning his death wrote on Facebook: “Broda mi (my brother) as I use to call you. You used to think of others first before yourself. You fought a good race…. Good night my sweet caring father and brother…. You will be missed dearly by many friends and family…. Rest in peace till we meet to departed no more!!! ”
A non-governmental organisation in Italy, the Arci Modena association where Okunuga was a former provincial advisor also took to social media to mourn his death.
The association wrote: “Condolences for the disappearance of our friend Okunuga Olumide Saraju, always committed to the promotion of integration policies and former provincial advisor of Arci Modena. Together we have built many projects, like “The World in Pocket” of the Milinda Intercultural Circle. His ideas and strength will always be with us.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria recorded its third case of the virus on Tuesday – a 30-year-old Nigerian woman who returned from the United Kingdom on Friday March 13, 2020 and observed self-isolation, developed symptoms and tested positive on Monday.
