No fewer than 22 Nigerians in the Diaspora have died of the Covid-19 pandemic, figures released by Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (Europe), NIDOE,  have shown. Another 25 persons are said to be in hospitals across Europe.

This number is aside Nigerians who died in the United States including medical officers engaged in the containment of the pandemic.

The breakdown shows that 18 persons died in the  UK, three in Italy and one in Spain

Hon. Kenneth Gbandi, Chairman of NIDOE said the figures were compiled from the information provided by the country chapters of the organisation around the world.

The victims include Dr Alfa Saadu, a UK-based retired medical doctor who died on Tuesday (31 March) in London. He was infected with the virus while on a volunteer service.  The UK government had pleaded with retired medics to volunteer their service to help serving medical personnel who had been overwhelmed by the deluge of cases since the plague surged in UK.

Saraju Olumide Okunuga, a pathologist, also died in the Italian city of Modena. He was the president of Egbe Omo Yoruba in the Emilia Romagna region and the vice president of Yoruba National Community Italy.