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Bello, son of Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has gone to war with a Twitter user named Consigliere @oewonah.

The two men clashed after the former criticised United States President, Donald Trump, for not doing enough to handle the outbreak of Coronavirus in America.

Bello said, “There is nothing as radioactive as an incompetent leader during a time of crisis. The United States of America is a case in point. A few states in Nigeria too.”

But not satisfied at Bello’s attack on Trump, Consigliere fired back, insisting that the American President was miles better than President Muhammadu Buhari and even his father, el-Rufai, in terms of quality leadership.

Consigliere wrote, “He can't call Buhari out for his ineptitude yet he's calling Trump names? Did he vote Trump?”

Rather than douse things, that only escalated tensions, forcing a series of strong-worded and offensive outbursts from the younger el-Rufai directed at the Twitter user. 

He said, “Tell your mother I’m passing her to my friends tonight. No Igbo sounds please! Tueh.

“Your mother is the main whore of the South East. I can’t reply you publicly.

“F..k Kanu and take a picture of the Second Niger Bridge, thanks to Buhari.

“My mentions are mine. If a Sunday bastard makes up lies and drags my father, his mother will be games. If he doesn’t want it, he shouldn’t mention me. The crowd has never phased me.

“Truly your mother’s son. Does she still earn by earning 2,019 naira per suck on Azikwe Street, Aba LGA? Tell her to wear mask and gloves while doing it due to this pandemic.

“This daddy’s boy has heard your mother ability to take d..k is mind blowing. Especially one dipped in kerosene from Abia land. Sounds about fair. Despite the ineptitude, he is completing a bridge your Ebele couldn’t. You are stuck with PMB and can’t do shit. How’s failed daddy?”

Some other Twitter users didn’t find Bello’s outburst funny, they attacked him from every angle, expressing a mixture of disgust and disappointment at his choice of words.

One user named @Dave_Suc, said, “El-Rufai's son will be worse than his father. I have never seen a child ingrained with such hate and bigotry. He is a disaster waiting to happen.” 

Another user, @lumiere451, said, “Is this really the son of a governor and he can't compose a sentence with proper grammar? Aren't you supposed to have had one of the best education available? It obviously didn't do you any good.”

@Seundann also said, “Tag his father ‪@elrufai and let him see what his son ‪@B_ELRUFAI said about your family. 

“This is not only rude, its shows deficiencies in character. How do you move from simple political misunderstanding to insulting family members.”

In his submission, @keljykz2 said, “Bello el-Rufai is a little boy who has never worked for anything in his life. I wonder why you are bothered engaging him. 

“Bro, don’t even sweat over someone who doesn't know the price of the car he drives. Enjoy your Easter and leave thrash for LAWMA.” 

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Officials say people should not let coronavirus lockdowns stop them seeking shelter from the storms.

Notable among threats to contemporary international security is the spate of Islamic fundamentalism. These threats have manifested in varying dimensions, depending on the strategy of its actors. In certain cases, the threat has taken advantage of state fragility, while in other instances; the threat has been a deliberate challenge against perceived Western cultural imperialism. 

Perhaps, to counter this perceived encroachment on cherished values, the Al Qaeda and until recently ISIS, plunged the Middle-East region into turmoil, with occasional infiltration into Europe and North America. In West Africa, countries in the Lake Chad Basin (Cameroon, Chad, Niger Republic and Nigeria), in particular, have been engaged in an intractable battle to defeat Boko Haram insurgency since 2010. At the height of the conflict, Boko Haram hit targets in Abuja and Kaduna before they were contained within Adamawa, Borno, Yobe states of Nigeria. 

In other countries of the Lake Chad Basin, Boko Haram have focused on hostage-taking, executions, plunder and looting of villages in extreme North of Cameroon, Lake Province of Chad and Diffa Province of Niger Republic .  United Nations sources estimate that the 10-year Boko Haram insurgency has claimed about 30,000 lives, displaced about 3.5 million people and destroyed property worth billions of naira in the sub region.

Apart from being religious fundamentalists, Boko Haram is also a terrorist social movement. Like all social movements, it represents groups that are on the margins of society and state. Outside the boundaries of institutional power, Boko Haram seeks to change the system in fundamental ways, through a mix of bigotry, demagogy and terror. Analysts believe that the initial stalemate in diagnosing the problem emboldened the terrorist group, resulting in its quickly moving to implement its agenda through the dissemination of its poisonous religious ideology

In dealing with terrorism and insurgency, several lines of operations are usually open to governments. These include; kinetic, diplomatic, political, Information and economic lines of operation among others. However, the line of operation that members of the public can easily lend support to their governments and armed forces is Information and National Orientation. This is because information is the oxygen of all terrorist movements, therefore, public use or misuse of information can promote, enhance or destroy terrorism, including Boko Haram.

Still within this premise, the mass media play crucial roles in shaping public opinion. The ability to set the agenda and act as gate keeper give the media a unique influence over their audiences. Terrorists are aware of this interplay. Consequently, they leverage the media to advance their cause. Scholars like Brigitte Nacos believe that the media are indispensable to terrorists. In her work “Mass Mediated Terrorism: The Central Role of the Media in Terrorism and Counter-terrorism”, Nacos outlines how terrorists exploit global information networks to proliferate their violent achievements, known as “propaganda of the deed”. This make professional handling of information in the era of Boko Haram terrorism is a clear and compelling line of operation.

However, the emergence of new and social media has broadened the media ecology. Audience members with access to smart phones and similar platforms can leverage social media and disseminate media content to millions of people. Although this innovation has inherent challenges, its power and benefits can be responsibly harnessed to defeat our common enemy.

Like all insurgencies, Boko Haram insurgency and the counterinsurgency efforts of the sub-region are basically contestations for superiority of ideas. While Boko Haram is offering a 6th century ideology that is not practiced even in the bastion of Islam, governments of the Lake Chad Basin countries have opted for continuity of secular society, religious tolerance and freedom. In the end it is the side that is able to significantly gain the acceptance of the public of the dominance of its ideas that will win the war. The choices are clear and ultimately ours to make.

It is for this reason that information and indeed the populations in the respective countries are the most critical factors in insurgency and counter-insurgency. So far, there have not been sufficient demonstrations of public distaste and revulsion to the violence orchestrated by Boko Haram. However, considering the issues at stake, the public must therefore climb down from the fence and support their governments. Boko Haram insurgency has taken this long partly due to the ambivalence of the public. Perhaps, the greatest blow to Boko Haram would be the populations disavowing and rejecting their ideology.

To bring this Boko Haram threat to an end, concerted efforts need to be made to roll back the gains made by Boko Haram in the ideological and information domains. A substantial portion of this drive can emanate from members of the public rising stoutly in support of their governments and armed forces by being circumspect and selectively exposing themselves to information that seek to promote and glorify Boko Haram and their condemnable ideology. 

Severally, people have promoted the ideals and missions of Boko Haram unknowingly. Seemingly harmless attitudes like circulating Boko Haram images and texts reinforce positive notions of Boko Haram in other people and become force multipliers that sustain and energise Boko Haram. These innocuous acts enable radicalisation and recruitment for Boko Haram. In order for soldiers to make progress in the front, support and patronage for terrorists even in the cognitive domain must end. Physical manifestation of terrorism percolates from the cognitive domain. 

From news reports, communiqués and utterances by public figures, there is unanimity of opinion across Lake Chad Basin countries that Boko Haram prescriptions are not what is required to achieve national aspirations. This is a momentum. The public should therefore galvanise and weaponise this momentum and join in providing alternative narratives to Boko Haram propaganda. Contributions of this kind at individual or group levels by the public, using the social media will contribute significantly to the counterinsurgency effort, particularly, erasing wrong notions planted in the minds of young and impressionable people. The preamble of the UNESCO declares that “since war begins in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed”. Public participation in the counterinsurgency war along this line would go a long way in constructing the defenses of peace so urgently required in our sub region.

Colonel Timothy Antigha is the Chief of Military Public Information at the Multinational Joint Task Force, N’Djamena, Chad

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Yesterday April 11, at exactly 9:30pm, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control announced a total of 318 cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria through its website and verified social media accounts. 

Analyses: 70 discharged, 10 deaths and 238 active cases. 

However, a further look at the data released by the NCDC shows that the number of discharged patients are under-reported which, without much ado, renders the number released for active cases inaccurate. 

Please follow me:

Osun: 10 patients were discharged around 2pm on April 11 from the state’s isolation centre situated at Ejigbo, making it a total of 11 recovered patients thus far but NCDC recorded 1 discharged for the state. 

Oyo: The state governor, Seyi Makinde, announced on Saturday April 11, that seven patients including himself, had already recovered and discharged in the state but NCDC recorded four discharged for the state.

Bauchi: The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Aliyu Maigoro, announced on Thursday April 9, that the state only have four cases thus far with two recoveries including the state governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, but NCDC, though initially recorded eight cases for the state, has reduced the figure to six following complaints from the state government. 

However, the NCDC on April 11 recorded zero discharged for Bauchi State with six cases instead of four.

Ekiti: Ekiti has recorded two cases and all the two patients had recovered and discharged but NCDC recorded one discharged for the state.

Accurate discharged patients:

As at 10:30pm April 11, records from isolation centres across Nigeria showed that the county has recorded 86 discharged patients contrary to 70 reported by the NCDC.

Findings:

Lagos: 50 discharged

FCT: 11 discharged

Oyo: 7 discharged

Osun: 11 discharged

Ogun: 2 discharged

Ekiti: 2 discharged 

Rivers: 1 discharged 

Bauchi: 2 discharged 

TOTAL: 86

Observation

I observed that the NCDC data analysts only pay attention to reports from Lagos and Abuja being the epicentres of the pandemic in Nigeria. I equally discovered that all data released from Abuja and Lagos respectively are accurate while most reports recorded for other states are inaccurate.

Conclusion 

While I salute the NCDC for a job well-done thus far, I urge the agency to look into the discrepancies in the information being released to the general public in the interest of the rest of the world, who relies solely on their data for strategic planning.

Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye is a Qualitative Researcher and Development, Strategic and Political Communications Consultant. He can be reached viamaxwelladeleye@gmail.com

 

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Twenty-three Nigerians, who returned to the country through Togo are undergoing screening at the Seme Border.

The returnees arrived from different countries through the Lomé–Tokoin International Airport via Ethiopian Airlines.

This is coming days after 67 persons returned into the country despite the closure of its borders.

The fresh returnees were held in Lome where screening and tests were carried out on them.

One of the travellers tested positive for Coronavirus and has been detained by the Togolese authorities.

An official of Port Health Services said that Lagos health officials have been alerted and the 23 returnees would be screened at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba for further examination.

“We have informed officials of Lagos State Ministry of Health and they are on their way to Seme Border to evacuate the returnees to Yaba for more examination on COVID-19,” the official said.

 

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Lagos State has recorded another death to Coronavirus, bringing the total number so far in the state to five.

Commissioner for Health in Lagos, Prof Akin Abayomi, made the announcement via his Twitter handle on Sunday. 

He said the death was due to complication from the virus.

“Unfortunately, Lagos recorded another death from #COVID19 related complication, bringing numbers of such sad occurrence to five,” Prof Abayomi said.

The state so far has 177 confirmed cases of Coronavirus while 50 persons, who recovered at its isolation centre, had been discharged.

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British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has been discharged from hospital after receiving treatment for Coronavirus.

The 55-year-old was taken to a hospital in London last Sunday and spent three nights in intensive care before returning to a ward on Thursday, according to the BBC.

Johnson is expected to continue his recovery at his country home in Chequers.

"On the advice of his medical team, the PM will not be immediately returning to work. 

“He wishes to thank everybody at St Thomas' for the brilliant care he has received.

"All of his thoughts are with those affected by this illness," Downing Street said.

The virus has killed more than 10,000 in the United Kingdom and continues to wreak damage.

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Residents in several communities in Ogun and Lagos are now living in fear following rising cases of robbery attacks during the ongoing Coronavirus lockdown imposed on both cities.

On Saturday, hoodlums in large numbers said to have emerged from the Agbado area all the way to Abule Egba in Lagos, wreaked havoc by breaking into shops and houses to loot various items and also rob residents of money and valuables. 

Residents of the affected neighbourhoods in Ogun State like Ijoko, Sango Ota, Ayepe, Ilepa, Ibogun, Itori and Agbado say they now live in fear, while those in Ajao Estate, Abule Egba, Iju, Agege, Alimosho, Alagbado – all in Lagos – reckon that they no longer sleep well at night as a result of the threat posed by the hoodlums.

In fact it was gathered that residents of the affected communities have since formed vigilante groups to protect themselves against the miscreants.

“They came in about three buses, shot into the air and started looting. Shop owners had to run for their lives. 

“Some houses were also attacked and were robbed of money and other valuables,” one resident in Agbado said. 

Narrating his own experience, another resident of the area, who asked not to be named for safety reason, said, “The robbers, who have been attacking our neighbouring communities, wrote a letter to us on Wednesday to inform us that they were coming soon. As a result, we now make bonfires at night to keep vigil over our neighbourhood.”

Reacting to the issue, spokesperson for the police in Lagos, Bala Elkana, disclosed that some of the hoodlums responsible for terrorising these communities have been arrested. 

He said, “The hoodlums stepped out in the name of attacking each other just to create a scene and using the opportunity to steal.

“We envisaged that they would attempt it so we had our deployment already. Our men were well prepared for them. 

“We have a patrol team and rapid response squad were all over and we responded. We have a number of suspects already in custody.”

 

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"The Man dies in all who keeps silent in the face of tyranny" Said Professor Wole soyinka. Many Nigerians do not understand the term "Revolution" as many perceive the word to mean threat just has as being portrayed by their government. Haven't said of how so many Youths see their fellow Youths in the Revolutionary line as gangs of young people with no dreams going astray, but little do they know that these are people who've chosen to give their lives for something, something true, long and lasting, something that doesn't move alot of Nigerians, I've come to realize that we've Three categories of Nigerians. First are the Smart monkeys messing around with another monkey's banana "The politicians". Second are the ones who knows the truth but due to what their benefits and gains are tied to, they remain silent and the last ones are the Utopian citizens, the ones who never see anything wrong with the Nigerian economy, these are the sets of people who keeps telling you that "Nigeria is still better" imagine, This has been the anthem for years. The Great Afro beats Music legend and human rights activist "Fela Anikulapo kuti" once said in one of his most popular tracks that "Suffer suffer suffer for world Na your fault be that" This is no doubt as we all know that our beloved country Nigeria is still like this because we've accepted our fate, The Nigerian Youths has a long role to play, haven't said that the Youths are the most important and dynamic segment of the population in any country. It is believed that developing countries with large youth population could see tremendous growth, provided they invest in young people's education, health and protect and guarantee their rights. It is no doubt to say that today's Young are tomorrow's innovators, Creators, builders and leaders but things aren't like that in here in Nigeria, The government has failed to invest in its Youths, leaving them to their faith like bananas, I'd come to assumption that there's no place for our dreams, More than 50% of Youths in Nigeria are Political thugs, their destinies have been pragmented into what the so called Politicians wants leaving so many of these young men roaming on the streets, homeless, ruthless and very dangerous with purpose or drive at all. It is a necessity for the Youths of this Nation to pick up a Revolutionary mindset as it is all for their biggest benefits. Here we'd talk about the Revolutionary Youths of South Africa and the role they played in supporting Mandela in the era of the Apartheid.

Although its creation predated apartheid, the African National Congress (ANC) became the primary force in opposition to the government after its moderate leadership was superseded by the organisation's more radical Youth League (ANCYL) in 1949. Led by Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo, elected to the ANC's National Executive that year, the ANCYL advocated a radical black nationalist programme that combined the Africanist ideas of Anton Lembede with those of Marxism. They brought the notion that white authority could only be overthrown through mass campaigns. The ideals of the ANC and ANCYL are stated in the ANC official web site and state, concerning the "Tripartite Alliance", "The Alliance is founded on a common commitment to the objectives of the National Democratic Revolution, and the need to unite the largest possible cross-section of South Africans behind these objectives. This cites the actionable intent, their goal to end oppression.

"Some privileged rulers or Political racketeers may call us dreamers but we are sure that our dreams of today will be the law of tomorrow because the future lies on the side of the oppressed masses".

"We Revolutionaries are convinced that when the masses participate in the affairs of state, the struggle against bureaucracy will be more effective, The needs of the population and of the community will be better satisfied". Who doesn't know that our farmers suffer from famine; That our bricklayers sleep in corrugated and detached roofed homes; Our fishermen can not eat fish; And the hunters eat rats while they sell their meat catched to the few rich?

The tailors wear tattered dresses. Nurses and teachers, labourers, Police constables and Non-commissioned officers of our armed forces earn the most miserable pay while middlemen of all sorts make all the dough. Who doesn't know that most of the people who regard themselves as "Great Nigerians" or "Hard working" people in our country are mere peddlers who are earning their means of livelihood as magicians, retained chiefs, Apostles, court touts, motor park agents, advertisers, snake Chambers, Calabash repairers, emergency suppliers, harlots and the unoccupied senior civil servants, ministers, commissioners and idle military officers?

Is this how a backward Nation like ours can move forward and develop?

It is my serious and humble submission that our country needs proper overhauling from all aspects of Life. Firstly, we need a stable Political life and the only way to get it is to stop money Politics.

Our politicians who buy us with money to get elected will never work for our comfort. They will eventually trade with our horrible fate and use our votes to make more money for themselves and their families. Excessively rich people never really appreciate the problems of the poor because they never know that the masses are even suffering in any way. We need to identify the politicians who have the genuine ideas and honest concern for the problems of our suffering masses.

Gentlemen, The solution to our problem is in our own hands and the job is not as bony as people think. Some people even have the wrong impression that our country is hard to rule, haven't discussed about the people who talk about change but never believe in it, and so Many with the paralyzed perspective that Nigeria can never change, and alot believing that Nigeria will change without making any move at all, doing nothing about it at all and not realizing the fact that it is a collective responsibility for us to birth the kind of Nation we've always dreamed about.

"The world is in a condition of headlong change and all mankind is moving towards broadening horizons. The socialist Revolution which have been spreading to some African countries will eventually engulf Nigeria. No force can stop it.

Right now, the Revolution is gathering strength for the final, liberating convulsion as we can already see political and ideological forces in our country jostling in a complex pattern. And when the Revolution finally comes, all the present stuffy paraphernalia surrounding the governmental administration will cease; because in the Revolutionary Nigeria there will be no high and low classes of people; there will be no special and common citizens.it is in this Revolutionary Nigeria that the common Man will have a relevant place".

 

     

                                                                                                                             E.d Adegoke

                                                                                                                                ©2020

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As part of efforts at curtailing the spread of Coronavirus in the country, the World Health Organisation and United Nation's Children Fund have taken to rural areas in Adamawa State to educate the people about the pandemic and how to avoid contracting it. 

The campaign started in Hong Local Government Area of the state with critical stakeholders in attendance.

WHO and UNICEF emphasised the need for social distancing and frequent hygiene practices among rural dwellers as a way of preventing the spread of the virus.

Officials of the Ministry of Health and staff of the National Orientation Agency provided explanations on the need to adhere to the lockdown policy.

Demonstrations about stopping the spread of the pandemic were made, as participants were broken into groups of 50 persons each for easy understanding of the sensitisation.

Sapphire Health and Education Foundation, which sponsored the campaign, also distributed free hand sanitisers, nose and mouth masks.

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The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2019 election in Kogi State, Akpoti Natasha, on Friday donated three ventilators to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, to help tackle the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to a statement by the Natasha Akpoti Foundation, the ventilators are the first to be installed in the public health facility in the state. 

The statement reads, “It is trite knowledge that Nigeria’s healthcare sector especially that of Kogi State is dilapidated largely due to governmental neglect. 

“However, citizens can’t afford to fold their arms when humanity is at stake at the wake of this Coronavirus pandemic.

“When I got wind of the fact that Kogi State in its entirety had no ventilators, I thought the most patriotic and humane thing to do was purchase the much I could to help my people.  

“The three ventilators have been installed at the Federal Medical Centre and they have been unveiled. As of today, there is no recorded case of COVID-19 in Kogi, but it does not mean we should fold our hands only to act at the 11th hour. It is a proactive measure to ensure that whenever any patient surfaces, these facilities would be offered free of charge. 

“Beyond this Coronavirus pandemic, I hope these facilities will be of service to patients in need of respiratory aid.

“My desire is that these ventilators would be rendered free of charge.”

Also speaking, Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Dr Olatunde Alabi, said the machines will be useful beyond the COVID-19 era to service accident victims along the busy Okene-Lokoja-Abuja Road.

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The National Human Rights Commission has expressed concern over the alleged maltreatment of Nigerians and Africans in Guangzhou and other parts of China.

The commission described the ejection of Nigerians from their homes and hotels by Chinese officials as acts of discrimination and a gross violation of human rights.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu, on Saturday.

The statement added that the action was capable of rendering Nigerians stateless in a time of global emergency when nations were evacuating their nationals to safety.

It reads, “Reports of ejection of Nigerians from their homes and hotels by Chinese authorities are clearly acts of discrimination and a gross violation of human rights.

“The Commission also notes with concern the reports of seizure of international passports belonging to Nigerians. 

“This is a not only a violation of international human rights norms but one that is capable of rendering Nigerians stateless in a time of global emergency when nations are evacuating their nationals to safety. 

“The alleged maltreatment of Nigerians during an outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic when nations of the world are coalescing in unprecedented acts of solidarity and commitments should be condemned in all forms.”

The NHRC called on the Nigerian Government to take immediate steps in reaching out to the Chinese Government to put a stop to the harassment of Nigerians, Africans and indeed any citizen of the world in the guise of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It added, “In particular, we urge the Government of Nigeria to take all necessary steps to evacuate Nigerians willing to come home from China and other countries where they are currently at risk of discrimination or any form of racial abuse as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.”

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Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, has said that the state government would not negotiate with bandits or criminal elements perpetrating crimes.

Aruwan stated this in an address at the maiden meeting with Major General Chukwuma Okonkwo, new Commander of Operation Safe Haven on Saturday.

He said the government will not negotiate with bandits, anarchists and people, who take life at will but it will work with security agencies to root them out.

He said, ‘’Government will not succumb to emotions and diversionary tactics. 

"We have a constitutional and statutory responsibility to protect lives and property, and we will continue to pursue that course. Everyone must recourse to the law." 

Aruwan, who listed names of those killed in massacres in Kaura, Kauru, Jema’a, Sang, and Zangon Kataf local government areas, said, “God is the giver of life, and no group of individuals can stake a valid claim to wipe out any race of people.

“Several successes were achieved in the area of de-escalating violence, containing threats to law and order and curtailing the spate of wanton killings."

Aruwan addsd that the state enjoyed a good working relationship with previous Commanders of Operation Safe Haven and looks forward to having the same rapport with the new Commander.

 

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Thirteen fresh Coronavirus cases have been announced in Nigeria. 

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control in a post on Twitter on Saturday night, said, "13 new cases of #COVID19 have been reported; 11 in Lagos, one in Delta and one in Kano. 

"As at 9:30pm April 11, there are 318 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. 70 have been discharged with 10 deaths.

"There are 19 states with confirmed cases in Nigeria." 

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Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, on Saturday said a patient, who tested positive for Coronavirus in the state had been discharged.

Makinde made this known on his Twitter handle.

He said that the number of active cases in the state was now four after one of the patients requested to be transferred to Lagos.
 
He said, “One confirmed COVID-19 patient was discharged after receiving the second negative test result. 

"This brings the number of discharged cases in Oyo State to six. 

"Another confirmed case requested a transfer to Lagos. So, there are currently four active cases in the state." 

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The Socialist Party of Nigeria, Abuja Chapter, has urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration to nationalise and convert all vacant houses in the city to a quarantine centre in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The party said the Federal Government and leadership of the six area councils in FCT have not shown commitment to contain the spread of the pandemic as medical and health workers in Abuja were being exposed to the pandemic.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Dimeji Macaulay, and secretary, Akande Daniel, SPN called on government and all the concerned agencies to be more proactive and put in place all needed materials for medical workers. 

The statement read, “Abuja, being the Federal Capital Territory and one of the most affected states of the nation, has failed to show any clear way to go.

“While the medical and health workers are busy treating infected patients and doing everything possible, the Federal Ministry of Health Port Health Services, the NCDC and all the concern agencies have not been provided with essential equipment needed for testing people who are suspected with COVID-19. For instance, all the port of entry into the Federal Capital Territory are yet to be provided with distance-thermometer, personal protective equipment etc.

“The environmental health officers including the volunteers who are supposed to be testing people entering the FCT-Abuja via the borders (Gwagwalada border, Zuba border and Mararaba border) are yet to be redeployed due to the failure of the concerned government and agencies in charge to provide them with necessary materials.

“We call on the government and all the concerned agencies including the six area councils in FCT-Abuja to be more proactive and put in place all the needed materials including providing PPEs for the medical workers. 

“We in the SPN make the following demands from Federal Capital Territory Administration and the six area councils:

“All vacant houses in the FCT should be nationalised and converted to a quarantine centre. All households must have easy access to safe drinking water, washing facilities and sanitation. N100, 000 monthly special COVID-19 allowance for health workers who are in the frontline.

“A special life insurance scheme for health workers who die while fighting the pandemic.

“Suitable working hours with breaks or rest period including off duties for medical workers. Adequate instruction and training on workplace safety and procedures for all health workers in the frontline. Periodic and regular testing for healthcare workers in the frontline.

“Provision of safety gear including facemask, gown, hand gloves, respirators etc., for health workers, poor masses and patients.

“Provision of a decent environment for health workers and patients including temporary housing facilities.

“No repression by police, army and other task forces. All security officers that caught must be prosecuted.

“The six area councils in FCT must provide palliative measure to make sit at home easy for working masses.”

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Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, has said that 10 persons, who tested positive for Coronavirus in the state, have been discharged.

Oyetola while speaking with journalists on Saturday said the patients were discharged having recovered fully and tested negative twice to ‪the virus.
 

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Delta State has recorded its third case of Coronavirus.

Ifeayi Okowa, governor of the state, in a post on Twitter on Saturday, confirmed the development.

Okowa said the patient, a male, was diagnosed in Asaba, the state capital, and has been placed on isolation. 

He said, “We have just confirmed the third case of ‪#COVID19‬ in Delta State. The patient, a male, was diagnosed today in Asaba, our state capital, and is currently being managed by our healthcare professionals in one of our isolation centres. 

“The patient is currently in a good state and responding to treatment and we have already began to track all those that have had contact with him.

“The confirmation of this third case further reinforces our call for social distancing and a lockdown. All Christians should worship at home tomorrow.”

 

 

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President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to stay at home, adding that restriction of movement in some states and Federal Capital Territory will remain as long as experts find it necessary.

The President had on March 29 ordered a lockdown of Abuja, Lagos and Ogun to contain the spread of Coronavirus.

In statement on Saturday signed by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, Buhari said his government had implemented multiple measures to assist Nigerians during the lockdown.

He said, “We realise that today there will be sons and daughters unable to visit their parents, and elders that are isolated from young ones. And there will be those who live day-to-day, eating as they earn, who face real and present suffering.

“No elected government could ask more of the citizens of the country that elected them than today we ask of you. But we must ask you - once more - to observe restrictions on movement where they are in place, and follow the instructions of our scientists and medical advisers: stay home, wash your hands, save lives.

“The freedoms we ask you to willingly forsake today will only last as long as our scientific advisers declare they are necessary. But they are essential - world over - to halt and defeat the spread of this virus.

“For those who suffer most egregiously, the government has announced multiple measures to assist: 70,000 tonnes of grain is being released from the National Strategic Grain Reserves for distribution to those in most need; distribution of small cash payments are also being made, and will continue to be made by the Federal Government in the states and local government areas.

“We ask you to listen and follow public announcements via the mass media for instructions as to how to receive this government support - and learn of more public assistance in the coming days.

“All that the Government is asking you to endure is because nowhere in the world today is there any known way of defeating this pandemic. There is no vaccine. And that means there are choices to be made: between continuing as usual, or accepting the restrictions even when they come with unintended consequences.

“But at this darkest hour, it remains our duty to offer you the full and unvarnished truth: This is a global pandemic, 210 countries and territories across the globe are affected. We cannot expect others to come to our assistance. No one is coming to defeat this virus for us.

“Instead, the defeat of the virus in our country will be in our hands, alone. We cannot wait for others. We can only depend on ourselves now.  And so we must - and we will - end this outbreak ourselves as Nigerians, together.”

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Kano State on Saturday confirmed its first case of Coronavirus.

Commissioner of Health in the state, Dr Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, who confirmed the case, didn’t give further details of the patient.

Tsanyawa said the state government would soon make an official announcement on the development as the governor was said to be in a meeting with health experts and the state COVID-19 committee.

However, sources said the COVID-19 patient just returned from Lagos State to Kano.

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Four patients including an 11-year-old boy receiving treatment for Coronavirus in Lagos have been discharged after recovering from the disease.

Governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, made the announcement in a Twitter post on Saturday.

He said, “Today, four more patients; all male, including an 11-year-old boy have been discharged from the Lagos State isolation facilities to reunite with the society.

“The patients; three from IDH, Yaba, and one from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital were discharged having recovered fully and tested negative twice to ‪#COVID19.

“This brings to 50 the number of patients successfully managed and discharged from our isolation facilities.”

 

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Google/Time

As of April 9, Nigeria has 288 confirmed cases of Coronavirus, a 55 per cent increase in the figure recorded at the end previous week (April 2).

There has been a moderate increase in confirmed cases recorded in the country and this is as a result of the low testing carried out by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the agency at the frontline of battling the virus in the country.

In the last week, the agency has come under intense pressure due to perceived refusal to test average Nigerians with priority given to influential individuals or politicians. 

This has also been fuelled by the decision of the agency to stop updating the number of screening and tests it has carried out.

There have been an additional 104 cases in the last one week spread across Lagos, Edo, Osun, Ondo Oyo, Kaduna, Kwara, Rivers, Delta, Katsina, Bauchi States and the Federal Capital Territory.

Of the 104 cases, Lagos recorded the highest number with 60 cases followed by FCT that has 16 cases and Edo with eight cases.

Other cases were recorded in Osun, six cases; Oyo and Bauchi with three cases each; Kwara and Delta have two cases each while Kaduna, Ondo, Rivers and Katsina all had single case each.

While states like Edo, Katsina and Kwara recorded their first cases, other states with high cases enforced lockdown and restriction of movements in a bid to curtail the further spread of the virus.

In enforcing the order, Lagos and Ogun governments began the sharing of relief materials to cushion the effect of the lockdown.

However, in what seems like a reckless move, some state government are beginning to relax the ban on large gatherings.

While these states have only recorded few cases, there exists a fear that the lifting of the ban on social gatherings could lead to the spread of the virus.

The Nigerian Government approved the move for 15 Chinese doctors to be brought into the country to fasten the process of fighting the virus in the country.

The 15 personnel were shipped into the country by and through the singular efforts of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.

The medical personnel would be training health workers at the frontline of the battle against COVID-19 and also oversee activities of the health workers.

In preparation for a possible influx of infected persons, the NCDC is overseeing the setting up of new COVID-19 isolation centres.

The agency has also increased the number of tests done in Lagos and Abuja to 2,000 and 1,000 respectively.

On the bright side, over 58 persons have so far been discharged from isolation centres in different parts of the country.

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