Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Saturday 2nd May 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 02/05/20
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JUST IN: Nigeria Records 238 New Coronavirus Cases
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Friday announced 238 new cases of COVID19.
In a post on Twitter, the agency said, “92 Kano, 36 FCT, 30 Lagos, 16-Gombe, 10 Bauchi. Eight Delta, six Oyo, six Zamfara 5-Sokoto4-Ondo4-Nasarawa3-Kwara3-Edo3-Ekiti3-Borno3-Yobe2-Adamawa1-Niger1-Imo1-Ebonyi1-Rivers1-Enugu.” “2170 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria Discharged: 351Deaths: 68.”
238 new cases of #COVID19;92-Kano36-FCT30-Lagos16-Gombe10-Bauchi8-Delta6-Oyo5-Zamfara5-Sokoto4-Ondo4-Nasarawa3-Kwara3-Edo3-Ekiti3-Borno3-Yobe2-Adamawa1-Niger1-Imo1-Ebonyi1-Rivers1-Enugu2170 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in NigeriaDischarged: 351Deaths: 68 pic.twitter.com/0sWoV3sATV— NCDC (@NCDCgov) May 1, 2020
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E2%80%99t-lie-%E2%80%93-nigerian-government-owes-people-explanation COVID-19: Numbers Don’t Lie – Nigerian Government Owes The People An Explanation
The Nigerian Government is currently facing an uphill task to contain the spread of the Coronavirus in the country but available data have shown that the government has not done enough under the prevailing circumstances.
The country had locked down three states regarded as epicentres of the virus. The include Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory. The lockdown ran for almost five weeks in order to counter the spread of the disease to other states. Quite contrastingly, the number of affected states grew from six as at March 30 when the lockdown took effect to 34 including the FCT, out of a possible 36. As it stands, only Kogi and Cross Rivers states are yet to declare any active cases.
This incredible spread has been attributed to a lot of reasons. Government had acted late in effecting a lockdown, hence infected persons had already entered other territories; the lockdown was not effective as there were still movement from the epicentres to other states; the state governors are manipulating figures in order to enjoy part of the booty COVID-19 offers; and the government had simply not done enough test to have a full grasp of the situation before effecting and during the lockdown.
While other reasons may not be verifiable, the figures show that the latter is most likely the case. In a research done by the Civic Media Lab, Nigeria has declared 1, 932 cases spread across 34 states and the FCT (this means nine cases per one million). There have been 319 recoveries and 58 deaths (0.3 per million). This means the country has 1555 active cases, according to Worldometers (as at 1st May).
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COVID-19 Cases Projected To Reach 3680 By June 1
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The number of cases seem relatively low but it is not as a result of any ingenuity on the path of the government, rather it shows the lacklustre reaction of the government as it has not carried out as many tests as it should.
Nigeria has done just 15,759 tests (76 people per million), according to worldometers.info/coronavirus.
If a country of 205,259,546 population and a nominal GDP of $446.543bn (as at Q4 2019, Source: World Bank) can only do less than 20,000 tests in eight weeks since its index case, then it shows the government is either unserious, dubious or downright inefficient.
Within this same period, some other African countries with lesser populations and even lesser GDP have ramped up tests and seem to have a full grasp of their reality, unlike Nigeria. According to Worldometers, South Africa with a population of 59,308, 690 and a nominal GDP of $358.839bn, have done 14 times more tests than Nigeria with 207, 530 tests (3499 per million), despite having their index case two weeks after Nigeria. The country currently has 5,647 cases.
Egypt with a population of 102, 334,404 and a GDP of $302.256bn has carried out 90,000 tests (879 per million) with 5,537 cases. Morocco with a population of 36, 838,497 and a nominal GDP of $120bn have carried out 35,803 tests (970 per million) and have 4,529 cases. Ghana, with a population of 31,072,940, with a GDP of $67.077bn have carried out 113, 497 tests (3,653 per million) amounting to 2,074 cases.
Interestingly, countries with very low GDP are making concerted efforts to save their citizens from avoidable deaths at this time.
The foregoing shows countries with similar and less economic power have taken the COVID-19 fight a lot more seriously and put the people first. Nigeria however, ranks low among countries with far lower GDP like Mozambique, Senegal and Burundi.
The Civic Media Lab posits that the government, through the Ministry of Health, agencies and committees owes the Nigerian people an explanation on the reason it is lagging behind the rest of Africa and the world in testing despite all the international support it had received and the sacrifice Nigerians have made enduring the lockdown.
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COVID-19: Nigeria Ranks Low In Tests Conducted Despite Donation Of Over 35,000 Kits, $500,000
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30-year-old Kano Driver Tests Positive For COVID-19 In Niger State
Niger State has recorded its third case of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The state Commissioner for Health and Hospital Services, Dr Muhammad Makusidi, made this known on Friday.
Makusidi explained that the COVID-19 patient, who was 30 years old, was a driver from Kano State and was driving through Minna towards Kano when he was intercepted for flouting the Niger State COVID-19 movement restriction order.
The commissioner said the driver was tried by the mobile court and quarantined, after which his sample was taken to Abuja for testing and it returned positive.
He said the patient, who is presently at the quarantine centre in Minna, will immediately be moved to the isolation centre at the Minna General Hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, the state government has intercepted three vehicles carrying 43 passengers heading to Kuta in Shiroro Local Government Area.
It was gathered that they were tried at the mobile court and repatriated back to their state.
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BREAKING: Policemen Enforcing Curfew In Ondo Cause Vehicular Accident, Injured Driver Rushed To Hospital
Some policemen enforcing the dusk to dawn curfew in Akure, Ondo State, have caused an accident after throwing wood at the tyre of a speeding Sports Utility Vehicle.
The accident led to the injury of the yet to be identified driver of the vehicle.
SaharaReporters learnt that the incident happened around 8:30pm on Friday.
The policemen fled the scene immediately after causing the accident.
Residents told SaharaReporters that the policemen are attached to Ijapo Divisional Police Station in Akure. “The attitude displayed by the policemen tonight is unprofessional. They saw that the vehicle was coming and they immediately threw a heavy wood at the tyre. PHOTONEWS: Policemen flee after causing an accident in Akure.The driver is seriously injured and battling for his life after @PoliceNG officers enforcing the dusk to dawn curfew in Ondo State capital suddenly threw a log of wood on the road causing the driver to loose control. pic.twitter.com/zx73tt4PNQ— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) May 1, 2020
“This caused the vehicle to veer off the road, causing the driver to hit his head on the windshield.
“The man was badly injured and was rushed to the hospital while the vehicle got damaged.”
Spokesperson for the police in the state could not be reached for comments at the time of this report.
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Amnesty International Calls On Nigerian Government To Provide Personal Protective Equipment For Health Care Workers
Rights group, Amnesty International, has called on the Nigerian Government to ensure it provides health workers in the frontline of COVID-19 response with Personal Protective Equipment they need to attend to patients.
The call follows an announcement by government that 40 health workers tested positive for COVID-19 in Nigeria.
In a statement on Friday by Osai Ojigho, Director Amnesty International Nigeria, the group said health workers risked being exposed to COVID-19, stigmatisation, separation from their families, mental health and other concerns.
The statement reads, “Across Nigeria, health workers are facing extremely difficult and unsafe conditions of work, such as shortages of personal protective equipment, dilapidated and overstretched health facilities, unfair remuneration and harassment by security forces.
“Health workers have been describing the difficulties they face and the danger they confront to secure the health and lives of people in Nigeria. What the government must guarantee is their protection. It is unacceptable that they continue to be put at risk.”
Amnesty International said it interviewed some health workers, who raised concerns that they were working without adequate protection and in very difficult conditions.
Health workers are increasingly facing harassment from securities agents despite being granted exemption from the lockdown order as essential workers.
In April, doctors at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Delta State, embarked on a strike over the harassment of health workers by security agents, the group said.
It called on the Nigerian Government to protect health workers and ensure the treatment of those already infected.
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Northern Governors Agree To Deport More Almajiris, Set Curfew For Inter-state Trucks Movement
The Northern Governor’s Forum has resolved to continue its deportation of children under Islamic clerics better known as almajiris.
The governors also agreed to impose inter-state border curfews to stop the movement of people from one state to another in trucks as part of efforts to stop the spread of Coronavirus.
Makut Simon Macham, Director of Press and Public Affairs to the governor of Plateau State, in a statement on Friday said the move will stop the spread of COVID-19 in Northern states.
Macham said the forum reviewed issues such as the request for more COVID-19 testing centres in the North which are grossly inadequate and decided to purchase mobile testing vans which they believe will facilitate testing in the rural areas.
It reads, “The Forum also expressed deep appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for his quick intervention in Kano State because of the spike in the number of COVID-19 infections recently.
“On the issue of inter-state border closure, the Northern governors expressed serious concern that despite their efforts, the borders are still being compromised and more illegal routes are being created which is giving rise to a more inter-state transfer of COVID-19.
“They also noted that some of the trucks transporting goods are also used in smuggling people across states in violation of movement regulations.
“They, therefore, decided to close all borders from 6pm to 7am to all trucks carrying goods so as to enable proper scrutiny and examination the following day, which is difficult to achieve in the night when most of the infractions happen.
“They also agreed to increase the use of vigilante groups, neighbourhood watch, and traditional rulers in enforcing the border closures.
“The governors noted that the exercise has commenced and is going on well except for some few logistic challenges, which are being addressed, between governors of originating and receiving states.
“They also agreed that almajiris sent from one state to another should be profiled, tested, and accompanied by state officials and their alaramas (teachers) to facilitate the process of settling in.”
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E2%80%99s-move-deport-northern-youths COVID-19: Afenifere Backs Osun State’s Move To Deport Northern Youths
Yinka Odumakin
Yoruba social-cultural group, Afenifere, has backed a move by Osun State to deport some Northern youth from Zamfara State, who sneaked into Osun despite the lockdown.
Mr Yinka Odumakin, Secretary-General of Afenifere, in an interview with SaharaReporters, said the state was right to take the action considering the ongoing battle with Coronavirus.
He stated that some Northern states were also deporting youths back to their original states within the region.
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The Osun State Government had raised the alarm over the influx of youths, mostly from Zamfara in recent days.
The Northern youth gained entrance into Osun State by hiding in trucks conveying essential goods.
Special Adviser to Zamfara governor on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, Zailani Bappa, condemned the deportation, claiming that the Zamfara youth were Nigerian citizens, who could reside in any state in the country.
Odunmakin however, said there was nothing wrong with the deportation.
He said, “If there are people who are hindrances in Osun State, I do not think that they need to do profiling before they take necessary action, especially in this period that we are.
“Even all over the North, youths who are roaming about aimlessly are being round-up and taken back to their states of origin within the North and all the states that have done such thing did not announce their decision.”
He said the move should not generate friction between the two states, adding that Zamfara State Government would deport anybody making suspicious movement in its state.
He said, “I am sure that the governor of Zamfara, if he finds strange youth in the state at this stage that we are would take necessary actions that need to be taken. He would not be announcing that he wants to take any youth out of the state.
“It’s not a matter of states fighting; it’s just a fact that when you find strange people who are not members of the community, or communities members who return, you have to be inquisitive.”
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E2%80%98debt%E2%80%99-suit-against-cbn-four-banks Court Strikes Out N1.2bn ‘Debt’ Suit Against CBN, Four Banks
A federal high court in Lagos has struck out a suit by the Muhammad Shitta-Bey family of Lagos seeking to recover a N1,275,351,167bn judgment debt from Great Nigeria Insurance Plc, the Central Bank of Nigeria and four other banks.
The four are: Wema Bank Plc, First Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc and Polaris Bank Plc, in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/180/2020.
Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo on Wednesday, April 30, found no evidence that judgment debtor/applicant Great Nigeria Insurance and the five other garnishees owed the Shitta-Bey family the sum as judgment debt.
The family, represented by 11 members on February 25, 2020, approached the court, claiming that the sum was debt due and owed to them by the Great Nigeria Insurance Plc following a consent judgment.
It secured a garnishee order attaching the sum domiciled in the garnishee banks.
The court directed the banks to show cause why the order should not be made absolute against them.
The insurance firm and banks filed a March 6 Motion on Notice, praying the court to dismiss the suit for being an abuse of court process and to set aside the garnishee order nisi.
They contended that the family concealed and/or misrepresented material facts in securing the garnishee order and that it applied for the order while also enforcing the same judgment at the High Court of Lagos State.
Upholding the insurance firm and banks’ argument, Justice Oguntoyinbo held, “I have carefully considered the said paragraphs of the consent judgment. I cannot find any amount of money mentioned in the said paragraphs of the consent judgment.
“What is mentioned therein is that the Judgment Creditors shall be entitled to 40% / 45% of the Gross Annual Income derived by the Judgment Debtor/Applicant from the demised property less some charges.
“Since this court has already made an order attaching the said sums in the hands of the garnishee banks, it seems to me that the proper order to make in the circumstances is to discharge the said order nisi made by this court.
“I, therefore, hold that the order nisi made on the 25th day of February 2020, attaching the sum of N1,275, 351,167.00 in the hands of the garnishee banks is hereby discharged, and these garnishee proceedings is accordingly struck out.”
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Commercial Motorcycle Rider Rapes Pregnant Woman In Ondo
The victim was strangled.
A commercial motorcycle rider in Ondo State has raped a pregnant woman in Irele Local Council Area of the state.
The 30-year-old suspect known as Laolu Omogunwa is currently on the run after committing the crime and has been declared wanted by the police.
The middle-aged woman was said to have hired the motorcycle rider from Ajagba to a nearby farm settlement with the aim of purchasing kegs of palm oil.
But the suspect allegedly took the pregnant woman to another route under the pretence that he was going to help her get cheap palm oil.
The victim explained that Omogunwa drove her into a lonely path and suddenly stopped by the road before dragging her into the bush.
She said the suspect strangled her and also dispossessed her of her mobile phone with sum of N150,000 before raping her until she became unconscious.
The victim was strangled.
She said, “He almost raped me to death, but when he discovered that I was already unconscious, he quickly ran away.”
A family source, who confirmed the incident, said the pregnant woman was found in the bush by a search party.
“It was when the family could not see her on time that they immediately organised a search party for her.
“They later found her where she was lying. She was too weak and was already injured while struggling to crawl to the road.
“It took 48 hours for her to regain consciousness. She lost the pregnancy as a result of excessive bleeding,” the source said.
Confirming the incident, the Ahaba of Ajagba, Oba Adesayo Ajibade, said the action of the motorcycle rider had dire consequence for him and the community.
He said, “It would result to poor yield and famine in the town unless the offenders appease the gods of the land.”
Police sources in the state told SaharaReporters that they were currently on the trail of the suspect.
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BREAKING: AIT Founder, Daughter-in-law, Six Family Members Test Positive For COVID-19
Raymond Dokpesi
High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, founder of DAAR Communications, has tested positive for COVID-19.
Dokpesi along with his daughter-in-law tested positive for the virus after a test was carried out on the entire family.
SaharaReporters had on Monday reported that Raymond Dokpesi Jnr., who is now chairman of the organisation, has been infected with the virus.
Raymond Dokpesi
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control conducted a test on the family members with eight of them coming out positive, Africa Independent Television, the television broadcasting arm of DAAR Communications, reports.
The affected family members have now been transported to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, for isolation and quarantine.
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JUST IN: Raymond Dokpesi, Son Of DAAR Communications Founder, Tests Positive For COVID-19
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Staff of the company, who had been in close contact with Dokpesi jnr., were also tested by the NCDC.
The premises of DAAR Communications headquarters in Asokoro District, Abuja, was also fumigated and decontaminated by the Federal Capital Territory Health Authorities.
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