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     SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, DISTINGUISHED SENATOR AHMAD IBRAHIM LAWAN, PhD, CON, AT THE RESUMPTION OF THE SENATE PLENARY, April 28, 2020, AT THE SENATE CHAMBERS, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLEX, THREE ARM ZONE, ABUJA. PROTOCOL Distinguished Colleagues, it is a great pleasure to welcome you back to this hallowed chamber. The world has been on lockdown in the last couple of months because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has unsettled economies, affected the way we relate to each other and disrupted calendars of activities across different sectors. Government has responded well under the recommendations of scientists and experts. Our sessions have been interrupted, but we have sustained our interventions and collaborations with other arms and agencies of government in the concerted bid to mitigate the damage from the pandemic. We will continue in our efforts in the interest of our good health, the well-being of our people and the sustainable...

     Nasarawa State has recorded its index case of the novel coronavirus with a woman who recently returned from Kano. Governor Abdullahi A Sule announced this during the COVID-19 Task Force Committee meeting held in Government House Lafia on Tuesday. The Governor maintained that the lady who returned to Kokona from Kano was among the five samples tested out of which four turned out negative adding that she has since been isolated and is presently receiving medical attention at the isolation center in Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia. Governor Sule added that "Just yesterday, five tests have been conducted and four are negative and with one positive case in Kokona. The index case traveled from Kano to Kokona". While appreciating the people of the state, COVID-19 Task Force Committee and the security agencies as well as the traditional institutions, the Governor said his appreciation will not be complete without thanking Local Government authorities, media and o...

     ...says Nigeria must prevent massive outbreak ... establishes strategic response team ...House set to pass law on SIP, fresh economic stimulus The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has said that the palliatives provided by the Federal Government at this time of lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic must reach all Nigerians in need. Gbajabiamila said although the government has done its best to reach as many Nigerians as possible, evidence showed that many Nigerians in need are yet to get any form of palliative. "The commendable palliative schemes initiated by the administration have helped alleviate the sufferings of some of our most vulnerable populations. "However, many of our people have not benefited from any of the implemented measures. It is necessary that we act to ensure that as many people as need help, are reached. We must also ensure that the distribution of interventions across the country is inclusive and equitable,...

      TEXT OF REMARKS BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED, AT THE DAILY NATIONAL PRESS BRIEFING BY THE PTF ON COVID-19 IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY, 28 APRIL 2020 President Muhammadu Buhari today had a phone conversation with President Donald Trump, at the request of the American President. The conversation centred on Nigeria's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. President Buhari used the opportunity to brief the American President on the steps that Nigeria is taking to contain the spread of the disease. For his part, President Trump assured that the United States stands in solidarity with Nigeria in this difficult time and promised to send ventilators to support the country in its fight against the pandemic. President Trump also extends his best regards to the people of Nigeria.

    President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday afternoon received a telephone call from American President, Donald Trump, during which the two leaders commiserated with each other on fatalities in their countries, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. They also shared ideas on how to successfully combat the health emergency. President Buhari expressed condolences to the government and people of the United States over the fatalities recorded, and equally expressed worry at the high rate of deaths recorded across the world. The associated negative impacts of the pandemic on the world’s economy also came up for discussion. The Nigerian President lauded his American counterpart for the various initiatives adopted by his government to contain the further spread of the virus across the United States. He indicated Nigeria’s readiness to cooperate with the United States to fight this common unseen enemy. President Buhari informed that Nigeria had taken a number of proactive measures...

      A Facebook user has disclosed that they "freed an unidentified man from spiritual bondage", after they found his photo in a bag containing a moulded image and other voodoo items... According to Asuquo Asuquo Udoma, the items were found after a bag which was forgotten in a Keke Napep was thrown out by the driver. He said all the items were subsequently set on fire. He wrote; Who knows this man Nyome should tell him to thank the Most High, we found a bag containing his picture, moulded human image, a lot of mystical items this morning along the road and we burnt them. Someone forgot it inside Keke and the driver threw the bag out. Thank God for him...More photos below.

     A suspected oil thief, Mallam Julius Obi has been remanded in the Port Harcourt Custodial Centre pending the perfection of a N10million bail granted him by the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt. . . Obi was arraigned on April 24 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt Zonal office before Justice H.I.O Oshomah of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt on one count charge bordering on illegal dealing in Petroleum Product without license. The alleged offence is contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1 (17) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, CAP M17 of the Reverse Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria), 2007 and punishable under Section 1 (17) of the same Act.