Nigeria
Nigeria: 10 die of coronavirus in Kano, Ogun, three other states
No fewer than seven patients died of coronavirus-related complications in Kano and Ogun states on Friday. Three other patients also died of COVID-19 in Bauchi, Kaduna and Sokoto. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known in its 70th Situation Report on COVID-19 published on Saturday. According to the report, 10 COVID-19 fatalities were recorded in the country as of 11.30 pm on Friday. The 10 new COVID-19 fatalities bring the total deaths recorded in the country to 117. Of the 117 fatalities, 33 died in Lagos, Kano, 18; FCT, four; Borno, 14; Katsina, eight; Bauchi, one; Ogun, four; Kaduna, two; Sokoto, nine; Jigawa, one; Edo, four; Zamfara, three; Oyo, two; Osun, four; Nasarawa, one; Rivers, two; Delta, three; Akwa Ibom, two; Yobe, one and Ekiti one. Part of the report read, “3...
Rivers inaugurates three coronavirus testing machines at state university teaching hospital
In its determination to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state, the Rivers State Government Friday evening inaugurated three PCR machines at its Covid-19 testing centre at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt. The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Teaching Hospital, Dr. Friday Aaron, said Shell Petroleum Development Company donated two of the PCR machines to the state government while the third came from Total E and P. He said: “This evening we are here to celebrate, because it has been our goal to get a testing centre in Rivers State. Today, I am happy to announce that we can now do Covid-19 tests at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital courtesy of the Rivers State Government ably led by our own Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. “We also tha...
Zamfara senator distributes bags of rice to constituents as Ramadan packages
The Senator representing Zamfara West, Sen. Lawali Hassan, has distributed 6,000 bags of rice as Ramadan packages to people in his constituency. The constituency comprises Gummi, Bukkuyum, Anka, Bakura, Talata Mafara and Maradun Local Government Areas (LGAs). Speaking at the event to flag off the distribution exercise in Anka town of Anka LGA on Saturday, the Senator’s aide, Murtala Jangebe, said each of the local government in the zone would benefit with 1,000 bags each. Jangebe said the packages were meant to ease economic hardship among less privileged across the zone. He said the senator was determined to improve the living conditions of all indigent members of the communities. Jangebe noted that coronavirus had compounded the situation in the state, saying it had become more important...
Coronavirus: They’re treated like prisoners – Dubai returnees
Some Nigerians recently evacuated from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, have stated that they are being treated like prisoners. They told newsmen that the hotel where they are being quarantined in Lagos is surrounded by soldiers who do not allow them to even get fresh air or receive some sunlight within the compound. One of them, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of being victimized, said, “Sincerely, we have not had it good since we returned from Dubai. We all tested negative for COVID-19 but we are being treated as if we have the disease. “We have been here for three days now but we have not been allowed to even breathe fresh air or even feel sunlight on our skin. It is as if we are in prison. Even the food we are being given is not good at all. We are just managing it.” Another evacue...
Gunmen shoot police inspector dead in Edo
A police inspector, Felix Egbon, was on Friday night shot dead by unknown gunmen who attacked a team of police operatives in Auchi, Edo State. This was contained in a statement issued Saturday evening by the state Police Command spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, titled “Attack on policemen and the gruesome murder of a police inspector.” The statement stated that Inspector Egbon, who was attached to the Auchi division, was on patrol with his team, enforcing the COVID-19 curfew imposed by the federal government when they were ambushed. “Edo State Police Command wishes to inform the general public of the attack on the operatives of Auchi Divisional Police Headquarters, Auchi, Edo State and the gruesome murder of a Police Inspector, Felix Egbon during the process. “On Friday the 8th of May, 2020,...
Governor Sanwo-Olu: Success of easing lockdown depends on residents’ compliance
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has decried the non-compliance to measures to contain the Coronavirus pandemic by some residents of the state. Governor Sanwo-Olu who stated this on Saturday while giving the 11th Update on Coronavirus in the state, reiterated that the success of the gradual easing of the lockdown is dependent upon the compliance of Lagos residents. He said that the state government “will not hesitate to review the terms of this easing if we continue to see evidence that Lagosians are determined to flout the rules. “The continued maintenance of this easing is only guaranteed when people consistently comply.” While also describing as unacceptable, the poor compliance level with the COVID-19 protocols, including physical and social distancing, wearing of face masks, no...
Lagos targets scaling up coronavirus testing capacity to 2,000 daily
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has disclosed plans to scale up its testing capacity for COVID-19 from 850 to 1500 and 2000 daily. This is subject to the availability of COVID-19 extraction kits considering the acute global shortage. Sanwo-Olu, disclosed this among other measures, while giving an update on COVID-19 situation in the state, during a live broadcast, Saturday, 11th in the series. According to the governor, who is the Incident Commander, “Let me say, as I have said before, that the success of our efforts, at ramping up testing, is part of the reason why we are seeing a significant escalation in the number of cases in Lagos State. “Quite clearly, also, we are firmly in the community transmission stage of the infection, and the only way to be sure we are making all th...
Rivers governor splashes N5 million on community which reported unlawful entry of cattle, bearers
Governor Nyesom Wike on Friday rewarded Rumuigbo community, Obio Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers state, with N5 million for providing information which resulted in the arrest of trucks, cattle, and passengers who sneaked into Port Harcourt in breach of the state’s COVID-19 restriction orders. The Governor in a Friday broadcast on state of his administration’s fight against coronavirus also vented frustration on perceived Federal Government (FG) and security agents sabotage of efforts at containing the pandemic in the state. He said, “I commend Rumuigbo community vigilante for rising to the challenge, as any responsible community should do, by intercepting a lorry-load of livestock with 50 persons who illegally entered the State in violation of the lockdown orders. For this show of cour...
Lagos searching for coronavirus patients who escaped after tests
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, has said they go in search of patients who go missing after their samples have been tested for COVID-19. Abayomi, speaking during a press briefing on Friday, said such patients flee their homes and cannot be reached on their mobile phone lines. According to him, this is one of the reasons the isolation centres in the states are not fully occupied. “There is also a situation that we experience; when we test people, sometimes they find it difficult to find them. The ambulances will go into communities, people will flee their homes, and they make it difficult for us to find them. “If you have tested positive, we expect you to cooperate with us and make yourself available so that you can be admitted and accessed. “Our isolation facilities are ...
Prince Adelegan: Governor Akeredolu has no capacity to take Ondo to the next level
A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive Congress in Ondo State, Prince Dapo Adelegan has declared that the incumbent governor Rotimi Akeredolu has no leadership capacity to take the state to the next level of economic prosperity. Adelegan while speaking with newsmen in Akure advised Akeredolu not to seek another term and bow out honourably. According to him “the governor has failed to display competence and compassion in running the affairs of the state. ”Ondo state people are praying daily for a better governor, go to the streets, sample opinions,” The aspirant who is Akeredolu kinsman promised that ” if elected the governor of Ondo state, l would use my business prowess to create industrial estates in all the border towns in the state with different targets. ”I wil...
Official: Some coronavirus patients in Lagos on the run
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said on Friday that many people who tested positive for coronavirus were running away from being taken to isolation centres for treatment. Mr Abayomi said this was one of the reasons the state still has unoccupied beds at the isolation centres despite recording more cases than its bed-capacity. He spoke at the state secretariat on Friday when responding to the question on the discrepancy between the occupancy of the isolation centres and the number of active cases in the state. “There is also a situation that we experience, when we test people, sometimes they find it difficult to find them. The ambulances will go into community, people will flee their homes, and they make it difficult for us to find them.” Speaking on the stress health...
Gombe discharges 20 coronavirus patients after testing negative
Gombe State has discharged 20 COVID-19 patients out of 109 cases in isolation centres across the state after they tested negative twice. Prof. Idris Mohammed the Chairman of the State Task Force on COVID-19, made the disclosure at a news briefing on Friday in Gombe. Mohammed, who was represented by Dr Ahmed Gana, the state’s Commissioner for Health, said that the 20 patients were discharged following directive from the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). “We are happy to inform the general public that NCDC has given us go ahead to discharge a total of 20 cases under our isolation facilities. “Ten from Kwadon Isolation facility and the second 10 were from Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Gombe Isolation center,” he said. He added that more patients would be discharged in the next few...
