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      April 17, 2020 Press Statement INEC Fire: PDP Alarmed Over Spate of Fire Outbreaks in Govt Offices...Demands Inquest Into INEC Inferno The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is alarmed over the recent spate of fire outbreaks at key Federal Government agencies and departments, particularly in Abuja, the nation’s capital. The party expressed shock over the disquieting fire disaster at the head office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, on Friday, in which valuable equipment and documents related to electoral and political party monitoring were destroyed. The PDP described the situation as unsettling, recalling that only last Wednesday, the head quarters of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation in Abuja was gutted by fire, followed by another inferno at the head office of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) just two days ago. Our party is deeply worried and hopes that this spate of fire outbreaks is not a coordinated de

      APRIL 17, 2020 By Ibrahim Hassan Wuyo The Nigerian Military has killed 4 suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Toto, Nasarawa state of Northcentral Nigeria. A military Commander, Abdulsalam Sani, told the BBC Hausa service in an interview, that they were in hot pursuit of other fleeing members of the dreaded sect. From the interview monitored by journalists on Friday, the sect code-named Darul-Islam had operated in a neighboring town for some time, before they moved to Toto. ” Their modus oprenandi is just that of Boko Haram. Yes, the sect is an offshoot of Boko Haram. We’ve been monitoring them. We raided and killed 4 of them. We will get the others,” said Commander Abdulsalam. ” We recovered some weapons from them during the encounter. We know they are Boko Haram from our intelligence. We monitored them for a long time, ” he said. “It was a successful operation. Though we couldn’t make an arrest, we were able to kill 4.” ” It’s not over, we will be on their trail. I won’t di

     Yesterday,a Long Island Mother Yanira Soriano,a mother who gave birth to her son while in a medically induced coma due to COVID-19 met her newborn for the first time as she was discharged from the hospital.Yanira Soriano was able to hold little Walter in her arms for the first time 12 days after the child was born via emergency C-section.''The fact that this mom not only survived but was able to ge out of her wheelchair and walk into her car and hold her baby gives us all incredible hope for our future patients and our existing patients that have COVID-19'-Northwell Health.More photos below.

     THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF RIVERS STATE BARR. NYESOM EZENWO WIKE - CON. PRESS CONFERENCE BROADCAST 17TH APRIL 2020   Let me welcome you all to this Press Conference primarily designed to update Rivers people and Nigerians on the activities of the Rivers State Government as it concerns the coronavirus pandemic. As a government, we chose a part of proactive interventions because we place high premium on the sanctity of human lives. Following the outbreak of coronavirus in our country, we did not wait to record an index case in our state before we began the enlightenment and sensitization of our people. We were the first state in the Federation to close our borders. This attracted criticisms, but we have been vindicated as other states emulated this positive strategy. Even though we have recorded two cases ,the index case has been discharged while the second case is doing well at the Treatment Centre. It is obvious that our containment strategies: closure of borders, closure

     A section of the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Abuja on Friday was gutted by fire. The commission spokesman Festus Okoye confirmed this to reporters, stating that the fire affected INEC’s Department of Electoral and Party Monitoring office. According to Okoye, fire was as a result of electrical faults at the office of the Director of Electoral and Party Monitoring located close to the Media Centre of the Commission. He, however, said the incident has been brought under control by men of the fire fighters while assuring that the incident was a minimal one and did not affect sensitive documents at the commission’s headquarters.More photos below.

     According to Facebook user Ifeanyi Calistus, who claimed to be related to the victim, the man committed the act after his wife objected to him using their bathing bucket to clean the fowl he killed. Sharing photos of the injured woman, Calistus wrote; "WHEN A BEAST TURNS TO A HUSBAND, THE WIFE IS IN DANGER Someone sent me pictures of a woman with broken head, bleeding profusely with amateur stitches and plaster. At a closer look, she was Calista my younger sister. Ah! What happened? I tried to find out from the number that sent the pictures but there was no response. I called my sister, she picked the call and was subbing painfully. She told me that her husband, Emeka broke her head with a pestle. How! what happened?" I asked. She said her husband killed a fowl yesterday and wanted to clean the fowl inside a bucket but she objected that it may bring bad odour to the bucket which they bath with sometimes. As she bent over to turn the fowl into another bowl

    The co-chairman of the Kano state COVID-19 Taskforce, Prof Abdulaziz Habib has tested positive of CoronaVirus. Professor Habib’s test result was one of the 12 released on Wednesday by the Ministry of Health in Kano. Meanwhile, he is on admission at the state isolation centre at Kwanar Dawaki. “It is true but rather sad Professor Abdulrazaq tested positive for COVID-19. He is already admitted at the isolation centre for comprehensive management”, a source told newsmen in Kano. An epidemiologist, who is also the Co-Chairman, Kano State Taskforce on COVID-19, who is actively involved in rapid response to all the confirmed cases in Kano, was said to have contracted the virus during clinical services, a senior member of the task force has said in confidence. Professor Habib participated in the initial characterization of a new emerging infection Coronavirus-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (CoV-SARS) in Singapore. Presently, he teaches modules on the immune response to infe

      Mosques in Jigawa state observe social distancing in todays Juma’at prayers, as part of efforts to curb the spread of covid 19 in the state. Recall that the Jigawa State Governor Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar yesterday met with Traditional Rulers from the five Emirates in the state along with council of Ulama, where they discussed on how best they would implement measures to curb the spread of Covid 19. The meeting resolved that Friday prayers would continue but insisted in observing social distancing among the worshipers.More photos below.

     The Sokoto State government has increased hazard allowance for health workers in the state by 100 per cent for the months of April and May. It also said health workers in the frontline of COVID-19 in the state would get in addition weekly allowance. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Ali Inamme disclosed this to newsmen after the Executive Council meeting held at the Government House. The Stat e Commissioner for Water Resources, Umar Bature, told newsmen that the state government had approved the suspension of water rate for the month of April and May across the state. According to him, the decision was part of palliatives by the government to reduce the effects of lockdown order to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic in the state. Speaking also, the state Commissioner for Finance, Abdulsamad Dasuki hinted that the state executive council also resolved to do a downward review of the 2020 budget. “The council has in response to the global challenges, a

     BREAKING NEWS: "I am pleased to announce that five (5) of the confirmed cases have tested negative twice for  # coronavirus  ( # COVID -19 ) in our dear state. They have thus been discharged. "This bolsters our resolve to defeat this common enemy, as we roll out more measures to check the spread of the virus and save more lives in the state." - Governor Godwin Obaseki.

      A medical doctor in Akwa Ibom State, Dominic Essien, has died after allegedly showing symptoms of the novel Coronavirus. Chairman of the state’s branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Nsikak Nyoyoko, who confirmed the doctor’s death in a statement released, said the deceased was taken to the Ibom Specialist Hospital in Uyo where he died. “I was called last night by a colleague who intimate d me that one of our colleagues was sick with a week history of fever, cough and shortness of breath which worsened yesterday with his SPO2 as low as 72%, requiring him to be placed on oxygen at his clinic. I immediately called upon a member of the State  # COVID19  Response Team to swing into action and somehow, later last night, our colleague was admitted into ISH and managed by specialists in respiratory medicine. With the symptoms elucidated above, a suspicion of COVID-19 was entertained and he had his sample taken today awaiting transportation to the laboratory for C

      The Ogun State Government has announced the discharge of three patients, in addition to the earlier three, from its COVID-19 Isolation Centre, with three others still under active monitoring. The Ogun State Commissioner for health, Dr. Tomi Coker, who made this known at the COVID-19 Situation Room of the Ministry of Health, Oke- Mosan, Abeokuta, said that the Ministry had also been able to trace about  210 contacts of patients, out of which 100 had been discharged. Coker further disclosed that the first State-fully funded molecular laboratory has been installed and was only awaiting the accreditation of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), so that the laboratory would help the State to scale up its testing capacity to 1,000 per day, as the Government would also be taking possession of another laboratory. She added that plans are also in top gear to have testing booths installed in high-risk communities which border Lagos State, as well as have mobile laboratori

      A team with the Ogun State Government has visited the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro for an assessment of a mechanical ventilator constructed by the tertiary institution of learning. The team, led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Tokunbo Talabi and the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, commended the initiative, especially its quality and outlook. According to the visiting officials, who were not surprised considering the quality of the many inventions displayed during the institution's recent 40th Anniversary and Convocation Ceremony, the quality of the ventilator was of standard and marked the institution for excellence. The Rector, Arc. O.O. Aluko, who said he set up just about a week ago the team that fabricated the ventilator, disclosed that the equipment was constructed within seven days. The SSG recommended areas for improvement on the equipment, while urging the Rector to notify the State Government on possible areas for assistance

      . . . Says Practice Destroys Asphalt Lagos State Government has reiterated the need for residents to desist from setting up a bonfire on tarred road surfaces across the State while embarking on vigilante operations, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown. A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Aramide Adeyoye, urged Lagosians to refrain from such acts, pointing out that roads that had been rehabilitated with taxpayers money were being destroyed by the heat generated from the bonfire. According to her, "Burning of tyres directly on the roads where taxpayers’ money has been expended is not only unpatriotic, environmentally hazardous, but, more importantly, compromises the integrity of the pavement and overall riding surface, especially now that the rains are about to commence". The Special Adviser therefore appealed to residents to desist from this unwholesome act so that after the lockdown, roads will re

      *CP Abang Cautions Officers against incivility to members of the public* *Restates commitments towards providing safety and Security to Ndi Anambra under strict adherence with International best practises* Today 16/4/2020 the Commissioner of Police Anambra State Command *CP John B. Abang,fdc* at a strategic meeting, has charged all Area Commanders,Divisional Police officers and other tactical Commanders in the Command to constantly lecture their men on the need to be civil to members of the public and also ensure strict adherence to international best practises when enforcing the lock down order in the State. The CP also issued strong directives to all Officers and men serving in the Command to exercise restraint and avoid use of extreme measures while performing their duties. The CP who equally described recent incidents in Umunze and Nkpor as unfortunate assured that investigations into both incidents have commenced and urged all persons to remain calm as justice will s

     *Arrested Five Suspects and recovers Two Firearms, a Toyota Corola and Tricycle allegedly snatched at gunpoint*. It would be recalled that on the 3/4/2020 the Command paraded four members of a car snatching syndicate who specializes in snatching vehicles at gunpoint and selling same after dismantling and overhauling the vehicles to evade detection. Consequently,discreet investigation by police detectives attached to Abagana division further led to the arrest of another three suspected members of the same syndicate including the gang leader as follows, (i). Ikechukwu Nwabueze 'm' aged 38yrs of ukpo mmili village Ifite Dunu in Dunukofia LGA of Anambra State, (ii).Uzoma Okani 'm' aged 26 years of Okpolo, Orlu in imo State and, (iii). Uzoma Ebele 'm' 29 years of Abara Okpolo, Orlu in Imo State respectively. Exhibits recovered from the Suspects includes one Golden coloured Toyota Corolla Car with REG NO:ENU 158 EQ allegedly snatched from one Mr Ifeanyi