A member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Adamu Suleiman, has died of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Suleiman is the first patient to die of COVID-19 complications in the state.

The state governor, Abdullahi Sule, announced the death of the lawmaker while briefing reporters on Sunday in Lafia, the state capital.

Giving an update on the disease, He revealed that Suleiman died before the result of his test came back positive.

“There is also one member of the House of Assembly who was admitted in Keffi and started showing signs and after we took his samples, unfortunately before the results came out, he died and he was buried according to Muslim rites.

“However, yesterday by the time his result came out, it turned out to be positive. So that really complicated our situation because the member had been part of all recent sittings of the members of the assembly,” Governor Sule said.

He explained that after the COVID-19 status of the lawmaker was discovered, members of his family and those living in the house went into isolation.

The governor added that their samples have also been collected for testing by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The deceased was buried according to Islamic rites without adherence to safety measures, as it was not clear if he died of COVID-19 then.

Governor Sule stated that those who performed the burial rites of the lawmaker would also be isolated and tested for COVID-19.

The governor further said the Nasarawa State House of Assembly complex is to be closed until it is decontaminated.

Until his death, Suleiman was the lawmaker representing Nasarawa Central Constituency at the State House of Assembly.