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EU expresses concern Nigeria at risk -Reps We’re prepared -FG A second case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been recorded in Africa just as the first case was confirmed in Brazil yesterday. France also reported a death from the epidemic. Algerian Ministry of Health, Population and Hospital Reform, reported the country’s first case of coronavirus, a statement from the World Health Organisation said. Africa’s first COVID-19 case was reported earlier this month in Egypt. The Brazil case was the first in Latin America, the country’s health ministry said.

As of yesterday 81, 109 confirmed cases of the disease were recorded globally with 871 new cases recorded between Tuesday and yesterday. The WHO, in its daily situation report yesterday, said: “For the first time, since the onset of symptoms of the first identified case of COVID-19 on 8 December 2019 , there have been more new cases reported from countries outside of China than from China.”


AFP yesterday quoted the European Union Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, as telling reporters in Rome after meeting Italian Health Minister, Roberto Speranza, that “This is a situation of concern but we must not give in to panic,” “We must also be vigilant when it comes to misinformation and disinformation as well as xenophobic statements which are misleading citizens and putting in question the work of public authorities”.

Italy, France, Spain, are some of the biggest hits in Europe, AFP reports. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives says Nigeria is at a risk of coronavirus disease due to shortage of basic protective equipment.

It said the situation had also put the country at a risk of Lassa fever epidemic. The house expressed this concern yesterday following the adoption of a motion by Shehu Balarabe Kakale and two other members, on “Serious impediment in the concerted and rapid response efforts of the federal government to contain and deal with the grievous threats of Lassa fever, coronavirus and other related matters”.

Kakale said though the federal government had released N386 million to deal with the situation, “the basic protective equipment like face masks, thermal scanners and globes are rapidly depleted and going out of stock in ministry of health”. He said the inability of the Ministry of Health to procure protective equipment, personnel gadgets and other laboratory and logistical equipment services as well as reagents and drugs was seriously hampering the government’s efforts to fight and contain coronavirus and Lassa fever epidemic.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, said Nigeria had capacity to detect and respond to the virus in the event it spreads to the country. “While the risk of importation exists, we can assure Nigerians of the nation’s capacity to detect, assess and respond to this and other public health threats at the point of entry,” he said.

He said the WHO, the Africa Centre for Disease Control, the West Africa Health Organisation and other partners were providing support to Nigeria to strengthen its preparedness against coronavirus. The ministry said it had also begun stockpiling medical supplies in case of any outbreak in the country.

The ministry had set up a multi-sectoral committee to scale up surveillance to detect suspicious cases and ensure containment at all points of entry. The port health services intensified screening of passengers coming from China and other countries at high risk.

The Federal Government had also released N386 m to the port health services division of the Ministry of Health and the NCDC to strengthen preparedness against the disease.

* Signs 2020 budget in FCT

* It is an impeachable offence – APC

* Governor has done nothing wrong – PDP

Government activities in Taraba are suffering, following the prolonged absence of the governor, Darius Ishaku, from the state. The governor, our correspondent, gathered has been away from the state for about two months. His last official outing was on December 19, 2019, when he presented the 2020 budget to the state House of Assembly. Shortly after the presentation, it was learnt that on December 22, 2019, the governor left Jalingo, the state capital and has since not returned.

The governor did not hand over to his deputy, Alhaji Haruna Manu. He also did not transmit a letter to the state Assembly intimating the lawmakers of his absence. Our findings revealed that between December 19, 2019 and now, only two State Executive Council meetings have held. Also, no new project is ongoing in Jalingo, even as officials of state claim that many contracts were awarded in the absence of the governor, but did not say by whom.

Many people in the state including the opposition have expressed concern over the governor’s absence. It is an impeachable offence – APC Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, Barrister Ibrahim El-Sudi, said the absence of Governor Darius Ishaku from the state for 55 days without giving reasons or transferring power to his deputy was an impeachable offence.

“The governor left the state since December 22 last year and has not advanced reasons for his continued absence contrary to section 190 (1) of the constitution, which requires him to transmit a letter to the Speaker whenever he is going on vacation,” El-Sudi said. He said the absence of the governor without transmitting power to his deputy has led to stagnation in government business. “We are not happy or comfortable that we don’t have a governor now because there are things the deputy cannot do in the absence of the governor.

“Everything is now at a standstill in the state; activities at the ministries have come to a halt’’, he said. El-Sudi also said the continued absence of Governor Ishaku was threatening the take-off of Mambilla hydro power project as according to him, the governor was supposed to meet with critical stakeholders to that effect.

While accusing the state assembly of failing in its responsibility to call the governor to order, he said if the lawmakers fail to do the needful, he would take them and Governor Darius Ishaku to court. Some APC chieftains in the state also alleged that the absence of the governor had dampened the morale of workers as ministries were deserted.

sarrki:
Where is the grass money Mr , pastor babacir Lawal?

The Presidency on Tuesday broke its silence over the persistent calls for the sack of the service chiefs’, saying “this is not the right time to sack head of security agencies”. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha disclosed this in Abuja at a book launch while fielding questions from journalists. “You don’t sack people like that.

There are processes and I believe that, at the opportune time, those processes will be followed. You don’t just wake up and say sack people, it doesn’t happen like that,” he said.

*Victim’s father admits receiving N50,000 from suspects

A director of finance, Ahmad Yahya Nawawi; one Habibu Abubakar, and another person, all staff of the Sokoto State Urban and Regional Planning Board have allegedly impregnated a 14-year-old girl.

The trio allegedly took turns to have carnal of the girl, a sachet water hawker, in one of their offices, which has resulted into a six-month-old pregnancy. The suspects were said to have admitted committing the crime in their separate confessional statements at the Zonal Office of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP).

However, Nawawi told our reporter that the entire allegation was a “frame up” with political undertones. Also, Abubakar dismissed the allegation as a frame up. He further alleged that they confessed under duress at the NAPTIP office.

A maternal aunty to the girl, Hajiya Maryam Yusuf, alleged that the father was given the sum of N250,000, to withdraw the case and he allegedly used part of the money to buy a plot of land. However, the father, Malam Muhammadu, who initially denied being financially induced to withdraw the case, later told our reporter that he received only N50,000 from the suspects, when he fell sick. Muhammadu said he withdrew the case on moral grounds and that he believed in destiny as a Muslim. He added that the suspects have promised to take care of his daughter and her education even after she puts to bed but that they did not make any commitment to their unborn child.

The aunty told our reporter that the victim’s parents separated before she was born and that, the mother who was her younger sister stayed and delivered the girl in her residence. “And she died not too long after her delivery, because she lost a lot of blood during the labour. I had wanted to keep the baby with me, but her father objected to that. Since then, the girl has been shuttling between her father’s house and her maternal grandmother’s house and only comes to my house when she is in need of something. “I was in Niger Republic for my business when my brother called to break this sad news and because of that I rushed back home.

On arrival, we went to her father who confirmed the incident, but that we should not worry, because it was already settled, which I vehemently disagreed to, because, how could she still be under custody if the case was truly over?. “He confessed to us that he was given enough money to abort the pregnancy and take care of the girl. So I went to the NAPTIP office to see her,” she said. According to Hajiya Maryam, there was pressure and threats to her life over her refusal to let the case rest. “I cannot let it go. They summoned me and offered me some money, but I refused to collect it.

Now they are threatening my life,” she alleged. She reiterated that she would not back down until justice was done to her niece. When contacted, the Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Abubakar Tabra, confirmed that the victim was with them, but declined further comments, saying he was not authorized to address the press on the matter.

The Commander also declined to grant our reporter access to the girl. When contacted, the Special Adviser to Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal in charge of the agency, Sidi Aliyi Lamido, said they were aware of the case and since two of the suspects, the Director of Finance and the other suspect, were staff of Ministry of Finance, they had written to the ministry for further necessary action.

Meanwhile, the state coordinator of Human Rights Commission, Barrister Hamza Liman, said they were aware of the case and they would follow it up to its logical conclusion.

Hip-hop star, Eedris Abdul-Kareem, has been arrested for allegedly beating up his landlord, whom he accused of sexual harassment. Eedris was said to have been dragged before the police his landlord Oladipo Abimbola lodged a complaint accusing the singer of harassment and intimidation. The landlord alleged that the confrontation took place on January 3 2020 at Valley View Estate, Ikeja.

He said he had instructed officials of Ikeja Electricity Destribution ( IKED) to disconnect Eedris supply due to unpaid and accumulated electricity bills of N535,000.

It was reliably gathered that, Eedris, was said to have allegedly forced his way into his landlord’s compound in order to beat and strangle him when confronted about owing electric bills. The landlord claims that he was unaware that Eedris Abdul-Kareem was to be his tenant when he rented the flat. According to him, Abdul-Kareem’s wife rented the apartment on behalf of her husband who she later identified as Eedris.

Eedris Abdul-Kareem alleged that his landlord had sexually harassed his wife in his absence and that all efforts to make him stop failed. He also claimed that his landlord has once been arrested for a previous case of sexual harassment against a female tenant. However, the case is still ongoing while further reports are expected.

The Nigerian Army says its troops of ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’ have heightened the tempo of chase of remnants of Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists in the Northeast region. The Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, in a statement in Abuja, said that many of the terrorists were on the run.

Iliyasu disclosed that the troops had in recent times, dealt deadly blows on the terrorist elements, who laid ambush along Jakana – Mainok Road. He added that several insurgents were neutralised while others escaped with gunshot wounds leading to capturing of two gun trucks and different calibre of weapons.

According to him, troops of 121 Task Force Battalion deployed at Pulka in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno, had on Jan. 27 launched a successful ambush against the terrorists mounted on motorcycles at Sabon Garin Kirawa.

He added that the encounter led to the killing of two of the insurgents and capturing of motorcycles as well as a number of weapons and ammunition. “In the same vein, on Jan. 28, troops of 159 Task Force Battalion deployed at Gubio in conjunction with elements of the Civilian JTF neutralised two of the insurgents forcing others to retreat in disarray with gunshot wounds. “Notwithstanding, the troops captured one AK 47 Rifle, 4 AK 47 Rifle magazines and 46 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition.

“Regrettably, one soldier and one member of the Civilian Joint Task Force were wounded in action. “However, the wounded were immediately moved to a military medical facility and are currently responding positively to treatment,” he said. Iliyasu disclosed that the troops had continued to record successes across the theatre of operation noble of which was the arrest of one Modu Gana, a high profile Boko Haram spy and logistics supplier at Bulunkutu Ngomari in Jere local government area.

He explained that preliminary investigation revealed series of communication between the suspect and an ISWAP Commander – Bukar Fatumani requesting him to conduct surveillance on troops’ location at Benisheik, Jakana, Auno and Njimtilo. According to him, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team had recently recovered and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device planted by the insurgents along Konduga- Kawuri Road, Garin Giwa – Cross Kauwa Road and Dikwa – Marte road. The spokesperson said that a lot of successes had been recorded in the Northwestern states against bandits, armed robbers and kidnappers in the past weeks.

“The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai wishes to reassure the general public of the resolve of the Nigerian army to continue to execute its constitutional mandate professionally and responsively for a better and secured Nigeria. “He also thanks all well-meaning Nigerians for their continued support, goodwill and understanding toward officers and men of the Nigerian Army.