₦airaland Forum

The Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano, has relaxed the lockdown on the state and has asked churches to commence full activities.

The governor stated this in a broadcast to the people of the state on Saturday evening.

Before the Saturday broadcast church activities had been restricted for 14 days as one of the measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

But on Saturday, Obiano asked the churches to resume full service, stating that the worshipers must wear face masks and observe the World Health Organisation’s guidelines about the pandemic during worship.

He listed the protocol to include regular hand washing, avoiding handshakes, application of hand sanitizers, and social distancing.

The Governor announced that movements around the state were not restricted, stressing, however, that all boundaries in the state remained closed.

He said, “All food and drug markets in the state are to open with immediate effect.

“I will meet with market leaders on Monday, 27th April, for further discussion. When to re-open the schools as well as when civil servants will be allowed to go back to offices will be announced soon.”

dapsoneh:
THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO DESTROY BOKO HARAM
THEY ARE SHORT OF SUPPLY, JUST EQUIP OUR ARMY AND THE REST WILL BE HISTORY

The Nigerian Correctional Service has refuted speculations that a death row inmate, Maryam Sanda, was granted presidential pardon last Thursday, alongside 70 other inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje.

The NCoS said Sanda did not meet the requirements for the pardon, noting that she was still in custody and “will remain as such.”


Sanda was convicted and sentenced to death by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in January, for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.

Justice Yusuf Halilu said every available evidence had proved that Sanda fatally stabbed her husband to death in Abuja on November 19, 2017.

The NCoS spokesman, Deputy Controller of Corrections, Chuks Njoku, in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, said the condemned inmate did not fit into any of the categories of inmates who qualified for pardon as listed by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.


The statement explained that the categories for the amnesty include, convicts who are 60 years and above; those serving three years and above with less than six months to serve; inmates with ill-health likely to terminate in death; inmates with mental ill-health and inmates with an option of fine not exceeding N50,000 with no pending case.

Others are convicted pregnant women and women with child, convicted inmates with minor offences and those who had spent 75 per cent of their sentence after remission.


Njoku stated, “It obvious that Maryam Sanda did not meet any of the above-mentioned requirements and therefore, did not benefit from the presidential pardon. We further want to assure the public that Maryam Sanda is in our custody and will remain as such.

“The Controller General of Corrections, Ja’afaru Ahmed, advises the public to discountenance the rumour that Sanda benefited from the presidential pardon.”

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Wednesday said 20 centres would be created in Lagos State for collection of samples from people suspected to have contracted COVID-19.

The NCDC Director General, Chikwe Ihekweazu, who disclosed this at a press conference of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said the samples would be taken to the molecular laboratories in Lagos for testing.


Ihekweazu also said door-to-door collection of samples would soon begin in Abuja. He added that Nigeria had increased her testing capacity to 3,000

At the press conference, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, disclosed that the ministry had expanded its case definition for COVID-19.

The NCDC had, on Tuesday, said the problem the country was facing was not the inadequacy of molecular laboratories, but how adequate samples would get to the labs for testing.

It said the 12 molecular laboratories in the country, which it put their capacity at 1,500 on Tuesday, were not conducting enough tests.

At the PTF press conference on Wednesday, Ihekweazu said part of the measures to contain the spread of the virus was adoption of a change in strategy after more testing laboratories had been established.

Samples of people with acute respiratory infection, high fever to be taken

He said, [b]“We are trying to change our strategy now and test more people. The testing laboratories have increased, but the bottleneck now is getting samples from the right people.

“We are setting up 20 health care facilities in Lagos to collect samples from people that think they have acute respiratory infections and high fever. We are intensifying our surveillance in health, so hospitals around Lagos and the FCT (Federal Capital Territory) can collect samples from people with high respiratory infections.

“In certain Abuja communities, we are going from door to door to collect samples from people that have acute respiratory infections. We are doing the same in Lagos. In these two places, Lagos and the FCT, where there is high incidence of the infection, we are now going to the patients to collect samples.


“Core centres have improved dramatically and we are urging the people that think they have acute respiratory infections to call us. Go to one of these 20 centres (in Lagos). Don’t go to any other centre. Lagos State will announce them as they are set up and make them accessible to everyone.

“We have the capacity right now to test 3,000 per day, but that capacity is not being fully utilised. That is why we focus on Lagos and the FCT.”[/b]

Health workers, senior citizens to be prioritised

The NCDC boss added that with a shortage of personal protective equipment around the world, Nigeria would give priority to health workers at isolation centres and laboratories, as well as senior citizens on the use of face masks.

He said, “It (use of masks) has been a controversial topic, but it does not have to be. The number of cases from over the world has risen to over two million with over 100,000 deaths of a disease that none of us knows about. The scale of the disease outbreak and response has to radically increase and the aspect of mask is one of them.

“On the other hand, there is a reality that we face. There is a chronic global shortage of personal protective equipment, including masks, around the world. The world was not prepared for a pandemic of this scale. We have to prioritise certain part of our population.


“Fifty per cent of the world masks are produced by China that has been locked down for months. They are now restarting their production and thankfully, some of those things are coming out.”

He said countries that produced medical materials, including masks, had banned their exportation because they too needed them.

SoNature:
You just wrote NONSENSE

I am sure you wouldn't have a problem with them coming home if you have siblings among them

Because the pandemic hasn't reached epidemic level in Nigeria, the government should bring them home and isolate them.

While they are in isolation, they should be given proper treatment. After all, this government keeps telling us that they are treating and discharging Nigeria's Covid-19 patients, meaning they are doing a great job with the virus.

If Nigerians want to come home, they should be brought home. Yes, that's actually one of the ways you win respect among other countries. It shows you have regards for your citizens.

CoronaVirusPro:
If it's real Corona virus and not the malaria they treating in Naija, they better leave them there.

UK health system is top notch. If they take that flight, then they should be ready to face what comes after.

Nigerian doctors will only prescribe the usual, Antibiotics, pain reliever and blood tonic.

That's the cure for all ailments in Nigeria. Even HIV/AIDS.

Please don't quote me, I am not feeling fine.

No fewer than 10 Nigerians, out of the 40 persons subjected to the mandatory COVID-19 test for those who registered in the United Kingdom to return home, have tested positive.

The results of the tests, which were released on Monday in London, indicated that the 10 individuals were asymptomatic, raising fears that they might have infected other people.

This was said to have sparked panic among the staff of the Nigerian High Commission in London and other Nigerians who heard about the development.


Saturday PUNCH had exclusively reported on April 11 that 2,000 Nigerians, mostly in the United States, the United Kingdom, China and the United Arab Emirates, had registered and indicated their intention to come home.


The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which compiled a list of such stranded Nigerians, gave some conditions .


The ministry said the intending returnees would pay for their journey back home. Also, it stated that they would be compulsorily tested for COVID-19 before coming back to Nigeria.

One of our correspondents gathered on Monday that many of the stranded Nigerians were students and businessmen, who travelled to the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.

It was learnt that many of those who tested positive were not resident in the UK, but went to the European country for business and educational purposes.


A source in the high commission explained that Nigerians, who registered for the evacuation, were being tested in a batch of 40 . The source added that another batch would soon undergo the COVID-19 test.

He stated[b], “We have just received the results of the first batch of 40 Nigerians who registered for evacuation to Nigeria. The results show that about 10 persons tested positive for COVID-19 and they have commenced treatment in isolation centres.


“What is generating consternation is the fear that they might have infected many other people since they were not showing symptoms of the deadly disease.”[/b]


The PUNCH learnt that efforts were going on to begin contact-tracing.

The spokesman for Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, Abdul-Rahman Balogun, confirmed the development, stating that those who tested positive had commenced treatment.

He said, “Yes, I can confirm that the results of the first cluster of 40 persons revealed that between eight and 10 Nigerians tested positive for coronavirus. They have since commenced treatment in the UK.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, told The PUNCH on Monday that the Federal Government was exploring all options for the evacuation of the stranded Nigerians.

When asked if the government would charter an aircraft for the evacuation of the over 2,000 individuals, Onyeama simply said, “We are exploring all options.”

Many Nigerians have been clamouring to return home following the increase in cases of COVID-19 across the world.


A viral video showed about 100 Nigerians being evicted from their homes and hotels in Guangzhou by the Chinese authorities last week, while their passports were reportedly seized.

The minister subsequently summoned the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Zhou Pingjian, last Thursday, over the harassment and stigmatisation of Nigerian in the Asian country.

Lockdown nightmare: How 200 armed gangsters invaded, robbed Ogun, Lagos communities

Residents of some communities in Ogun and Lagos have lost sleep over robberies in the neighbourhoods by a gang of roaming hoodlums seizing the coronavirus lockdown to unleash terror on the two states.

There have been overwhelming complaints by residents of Owode, Ilepa, Ifo, Arigbajo, Itori, Dalemo, Ijoko, Ogba Ayo, Mosa, Joju, Sango, Ota, Oniyale among other communities in Ifo and Ado-Odo Ota local government areas of Ogun State over how hoodlums have been dispossessing them of their valuables day and night.

Although a reinforcement team later dispersed the robbers, it was gathered that they struck again around 10pm on Friday at Agbado Crossing and Randle in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Many residents said they had resorted to keeping vigils and making bonfires to secure their communities from the hoodlums which they said numbered about 200.

Sources told our correspondent that the hoodlums are always armed with cutlasses and locally made guns while striking in droves.

A resident of Ijoko, Sanni Rabiu, said, “I couldn’t sleep till morning for two days now.”

In what he described as ‘sinister effects of COVID-19,’ another resident, Opeyemi Johnson, said thugs had become thieves and called on security personnel to act fast.

“I was outside our gate almost all night with fume-stricken bonfires,” he added.

“We need help in Ogun State. People are being robbed not only at night but in the afternoon too. Ijoko, Ifo, Sango and the likes have been under robbery attack since this (last) week. We can’t sleep; residents take turn to do vigilantes,” a youth, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

Outcries of residents within the troubled communities have also flooded the social media, calling out police authorities with the hashtag, ‘#Ogununrest.’

“The people of Sango Ota, Owode, Ilepa, Ifo, Arigbajo, Itori, Dalemo, Ijoko, Ogba Ayo, Mosa can no longer sleep or be at peace because of incessant armed robbery every day even (in) broad daylight. They are ransacking house to house. I am a victim this afternoon. Help,” one Prince Afolarin twitted on Saturday.

@Okikiola_pr said staying home amid the lockdown was no longer safe, adding that landlords and youths now come out at night to safeguard their homes against robbery.

“It’s too much. Ifo is hotter,” he added.

“What is the Lagos and Ogun state governments doing about perpetual armed robbery going on between Abule-Egba all the way to Ifo? We don’t sleep at night since the start of the lockdown. All those toll gate boys have been looting shops and houses,” one Lawrence Hortons wrote

Another resident, Sherifdeen Ojelabi, urged the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrimson, to arrest the situation.

“In my hood, Sango Ota, Agbado, Owode, Ilepa, Ifo, Arigbajo, Itori can no longer be at peace because of incessant armed robbery every night. CP Ebrimson should take action as boys prepared for war against criminals,” he said.

Sunday PUNCH also gathered that some shops in Jankara Market in the Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State were looted by hoodlums while some residents of FESTAC Town were robbed

THERE was pandemonium at Dumez Street, Off Benin Auchi Road, Eyean, Benin City yesterday after an early morning explosion suspected to be bomb in the area. About six houses were affected by the explosion, while its impacts were visible in about six houses in the area.

As at the time journalists visited the place, operatives of the Nigeria Police were already on ground to ascertain the cause of the explosion.


Commissioner of Police, Lawal Jimeta, who spoke to newsmen, said investigation had begun on the matter.

People in the area alleged that the explosion came from a suspected bomb producer in the area.