₦airaland Forum

Kano state has discharged 10 COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment in its isolation centres. This was announced by the state commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba. According to him this brings the total number of patients successfully managed and discharged in the state stands at 32.

Malam Garba who announced this in a statement, said that the patients have fully recovered and tested negative to COVID-19 in two consecutive readings and are to reunite with their families and the society.

He added that, the state has also recorded 3 deaths which brings the number of fatalities from the disease to 21.

Garba explained that Kano has so far carried out tests on 2, 072 cases for COVID-19 in its test centres.

The commissioner, according to the statement, urged citizens to maintain high personal hygiene and also maintained strict adherence to health officials advise.

A former minister of Health, Haliru Alhassan is dead.

His demise was confirmed by a Family member in Sokoto. As at the time of filing this report, the cause and time of his death have not been disclosed. However, POLITICS NIGERIA gathered that the minister was diabetic before his death.

The late Haliru was appointed minister during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He was a prince of the Sokoto Caliphate.

He is survived by a wife and four children.

The Senate yesterday said it was scrutinising the National Social Register being used by the Federal Government for its Conditional Cash Transfer to the poor populations across the country.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Special Duties, Senator Yusuf Yusuf, told reporters in Abuja that the probe was to determine the authenticity of the Social Register and the makeup of those currently benefiting from the programme. President Muhammadu Buhari had recently announced the addition of one million households to the National Social Register (NSR) up from 2.6 million.

Senator Yusuf said there were noticeable lapses in the register and the process of disbursement of palliatives to beneficiaries need to be corrected. He said: “Under the SIP, there are the households benefiting from the Conditional Cash Transfers.

However, I’m not satisfied and to be honest, it is not an easy thing to do at this material time. “The SIP has what they call a National Social Register. We’re trying to scrutinise that register to find out really, who are they (beneficiaries)? How did they come about the list?”

The Chairman of BUA Foundation, Alhaji Abdussamad Rabi’u, on Monday donated five ambulances and 20 Hillux Vans to the Kano Government as his contribution to the containment of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. Alhaji Abdulmasad, who is also the Chairman of the BUA Group, was represented by a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Aliyu Hong.

Hong who presented the cars to Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje at Government House in Kano, also commiserated with the government and people of the state over the challenges the state was facing. ”I am representing the Chairman and Founder of the BUA Group. He asked me to commiserate with the Kano State Governor and the people of Kano, over the challenges the state is currently facing.

”He would have been here, but he was held down in Lagos by tight schedules and restriction of movement,” he said. The Chairman said the BUA Foundation would make donation of N2 billion available as soon as a COVID-19 related project that the money would be spent on was identified.

Responding, Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje described the donations as timely and impressive. “Our two illustrious sons of the soil (Dangote and Abdulsamad) decided to shower us with equipment to fight the deadly disease in the state. ”Yesterday, Dangote donated a Mobile Test Centre which is designed to produce 400 samples per day. ”This will improve our testing capacity.

Today, the BUA Group owned by another son of the soil, gave us five ambulances, 20 vehicles and a promised to execute N2 billion project. Ganduje commended BUA for the gesture and promised to use the vehicles for the purpose intended.

He urged other wealthy individuals and organisations to emulate them. Ganduje also revealed that plans had been concluded to open 100 collection centres within the eight metropolitan Local Government Areas, while the 36 other Local Government Areas would get one collection centre each.

He said the state was also considering a house-to-house collection of samples, to ensure that residents adequately get tested against the disease.

The governor further stated that the vehicles would facilitate contact tracing and evacuation of patients and other follow ups. He also received a donation of 5,000 test kits and other items from the Floor Mills of Nigeria PLC.

The representative of the company, Alhaji Rabiu Gwarzo, also promised to provide ventilators to the state next week. The Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) also donated 100 cartons of hand sanitizers produced by the Chemistry Department of the institution, to the state. (NAN)

The Defence Headquaters says the Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole (OPLD) have eliminated 134 Boko Haram/Islamic States of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and arrested 16 informants in Borno.

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja. Enenche disclosed that the success was recorded in the ongoing subsidiary operation in the North East Theatre of Operation code-named ‘Operation Kantana Jimlan. He said the operation, being conducted as part of the conclusive phase of OPLD, was already recording monumental successes.

According to him, the operation is being conducted preparatory to the final routing of BHT/ISWAP criminals from the Nigerian territory by the troops of OPLD. He said the operation was coordinated by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, adding that it has intensified on various fronts especially within the Timbuktu triangle.

Enenche added that the operation had left the criminal elements and their leadership in complete disarray and thus setting the conditions for the commencement of the final assault on their enclaves and hideouts. “Several BHT/ISWAP targets were acquired and engaged with precision by Nigerian Army Artillery Regiments across the entire theatre thus delivering accurate fire on the criminals who were seen fleeing in disarray.

“In a coordinated artillery bombardments on Timbuktu triangle conducted on May 1 and 2, seven Boko Haram Gun Trucks were destroyed while 78 BHT/ISWAP fighters were killed as confirmed by both aerial and human intelligence. “Within the same period, another successful artillery engagement to Buk in Damboa Local Government Area resulted in the neutralization of an additional 56 BHT criminals.

“Acting on intelligence that a large number of BHT members were converging at the location, the gallant troops of the Nigerian Army Artillery Regiments acquired and engaged the location with deadly precision, inflicting heavy casualties on them. “As confirmed by our intelligence sources, only a handful of the terrorists escaped the location with gun shot wounds, with little chances of survival,” he said.

Enenche further explained that 16 high profile Boko Haram informants fell into the troops’ dragnet within the last two weeks. He said that the arrest of such high profile informants had significantly dislocated the terrorists’ information and supply chains and equally dislocating their communication.

According to him, as the gallant troops continue to overwhelm the criminal elements on all fronts, it is quite apparent that the days of the criminal elements called Boko Haram are indeed numbered.

“Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Buratai, who has been in the Theatre with the troops for the past five weeks congratulated the gallant troops for their resilience, courage and dedication to the noble cause of defending our fatherland against the criminal elements.

“He further urged them to remain focused and ruthless as they take the fight to the fleeing remnants of the enemies of our nation.

“The general public is hereby encouraged to provide credible information to our Troops as the NIgerian Military remain resolute in tackling the security challenges of the Country,” he said. NAN

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says those who were not properly kitted at the burial of Abba Kyari, the late chief of staff to the president, tested negative to COVID-19.

Dr Mohammed Kawu, Acting Secretary, FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Sunday. Kawu explained that they have also completed the mandatory 14 days isolation and have been reunited with their families.

The remains of Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, was laid to rest at the Muslim section of the Gudu Cemetery, Abuja on 17th April.

The funeral attracted criticism as most of the attendees were not properly kitted and social distancing was not observed during the event. Consequently, a human rights organisation, Kingdom Human Rights Foundation, threatened a “public interest litigation” if people who attended Kyari’s funeral are not quarantined on account of crowding and poor social distancing. The NGO also said it will institute a public interest litigation if the Kyari family fail to identify and quarantine those who attended the burial.

In a statement by the Executive Director, Kingdom Okere, on Saturday, the NGO said the large turnout for the burial in Abuja violated social distancing and other guidelines set out by the federal government to contain the spread of the novel Coronavirus disease. Key government functionaries who attended the burial were ordered to stay away from Aso Villa by the presidency.

Prominent persons in attendance included the Secretary to Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha; National Coordinator of the PTF on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu; former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima; and Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika. Others were the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari; Minister of Communications, Isa Pantami; Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu and the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Tijjani ldris Umar, among others.

The Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State, was thrown into panic on Saturday after a pregnant woman was said to have died from Covid-19 complications at the hospital.

Daily Trust gathered that the deceased, who was tested for COVID – 19 alongside two others – a male and a female, died while awaiting result of the test. A reliable source said when results of the trio returned, two tested positive, a male and the expectant mother who died, while the other female reportedly tested negative. Daily Trust gathered that the pregnant woman who had visited the obstetrics and gynaecology unit of the facility, was said to have been moved from one ward to the other before her death.

The other patient had been reportedly transferred to Ogun COVID – 19 isolation centre at Ikenne, while the deceased’s body was said to have been deposited at the FMC mortuary. It was further that the development thrown the facility into panic as no fewer four medical personnel had contact with the victims.

“As of now, no medical personnel has been quarantined but at least four of them had contact with the victims,” the source said. When contacted, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the FMC, Segun Orisajo, said, via SMS, “I am not in the position presently to confirm or otherwise of your request. Kindly hold on till tomorrow when the Management will make known its official response after due observance of laid down protocols on such a matter.”

On her part, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker while responding to enquiry, said, “I am aware of the unfortunate demise of an obstetric patient at FMC. However, I am yet to receive a report from the clinical team at FMC.”

The Plateau State Governor, Simon Bako Lalong, says, he won’t relent on his efforts until the last Almajiri is relocated to their state of origin to help fight the spread of covid-19 in the state. The governor disclosed this on Thursday in a state wide broadcast on the continuation of the total lockdown imposed over corronavirus pandemic in the state.

“The profiling and return of Almajiris has commenced and shall continue until the last Almajiri is relocated. On 26th April 2020, the first batch of 279 Almajiris were evacuated. Out of this number, 243 were sent home to their States of Bauchi, Kano and Kaduna, while 36 were sent to their Local Governments of Wase and Kanam.

Lalong while addressing the state noted that his government was fully aware of the hardship the citizens in the state are facing due to covid-19 period, including those holding public offices were exempted from the challenges, calling on all and sundry to exercise patience and resilience as all hands hands must put on deck to defeat the pandemic.

Governor Lalong however announced that “The total lockdown which resumed midnight Sunday April 26th 2020, shall be relaxed from Midnight of Thursday 30th April 2020 to Midnight of Sunday 3rd May 2020 to enable people again re-stock their homes. Thereafter, the total lockdown will resume on Monday 4th May 2020.

“This will henceforth be the pattern until further review. In order words, the period of restocking will last from Midnight of every Thursday to Midnight of every Sunday, ” Lalong added.