Television Nigerian

The United States Mission in Nigeria has evacuated 997 Americans home to be reunited with their families and friends following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

The US Consul General in Nigeria, Claire Pierangelo, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said from April 6 to April 8, the US Consulate-organised chartered flights operated by Delta Air Lines and Ethiopian Airlines and repatriated 850 Americans from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, to the US.

According to her, the figure included the 147 US citizens who departed Abuja on April 4.

Pierangelo said: “These repatriation flights were made possible by the tremendous efforts of the US Consulate team and great cooperation from its Nigerian partners.

“This includes the Ministry of Aviation, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Immigration Service, and the Lagos State Government.

“The State Department’s effort to bring Americans home during the COVID-19 pandemic has required a remarkable diplomatic and logistical effort.

“As of April 8, 2020, the Department of State had coordinated the repatriation of 50,339 Americans from 94 countries since January 29, 2020.

“In times of emergency, the United States’ Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas. This has been three weeks in the making.

“We have more than 50 people working on this on a daily basis to make sure that we can find the Americans, get the planes, secure flight clearances for the planes to land here and also ensure the safe passage of the Americans traveling to the airport since the city is on lockdown.

“It was an enormous effort and I am incredibly proud of my team. We appreciate all the help from our Nigerian partners. We couldn’t have done this without them.”

She noted that the US Mission would remain committed to working closely with the Government of Nigeria and the various health authorities to keep everyone healthy and safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jigawa State governor, Muhammed Badaru Abubakar has ordered for the immediate release of 74 Inmates serving in various jail terms across prison yards in the state.

Speaking to journalists shortly after pardoning the inmates, Governor Badaru said, the decision was part of the state government measures toward tackling the spread of coronavirus in the state.

He said the government embarked on prison decongestion by pardoning inmate with minor cases to ensure more safety in the prisons across the state.

The governor explained that social distance is one of the precaution measures against the spread of COVID-19, while the high congestion in prisons seems to be tantamount to facilitate the spread of the Virus.

Governor Badaru added that the government is all out to take any necessary measures that can mitigate any possibility of contracting the disease into the state.

According to him, more inmate with minor cases will be pardon across the state in this critical moment in which coronavirus is ravaging the world.

His words: – “It is in the record in some countries many inmates with minor cases died as a result of contracting coronavirus inside the prisons, so we must avoid this unfortunate incident to occur in our nation”.

ABUJA: President Muhammadu Buhari has granted pardon and clemency to 2, 600 inmates of the Custodial Centres of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) as part of measures to control the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

Interior minister, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola disclosed this Thursday in Abuja.

While 70 of the inmates would be released in Abuja, the rest are expected to be released by the state governors after convening a meeting of their individual committee on Prerogative of Mercy.

In a similar development, the president granted a presidential pardon to a former Governor of old Bendel State, late Prof. Ambrose Alli and foremost nationalist, late Chief Anthony Enahoro.

The president also granted pardon to three other Nigerians, two of whom are ex-military officers according to Aregbesola.

“I am pleased to inform you that five ex-convicts recommended for presidential pardon (by Buhari) have been so pardoned. They are late Prof Ambrose Ali, Late Chief Anthony Enahoro, ex Lt. Col. Moses Effiong, Major E.J. Olanrewaju and Ajayi Olusola Babalola. Prof Ali was the governor of the old Bendel State in the Second Republic (1978-1983) and a great progressive while Chief Enahoro was a foremost nationalist who moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence.

“I must thank and commend President Buhari for demonstrating great statesmanship by pardoning these people who were part of the great Nigerian history”, he said.

Part of a two-storey building collapsed on Wednesday in Lagos and fell on the house next to it, damaging the roof in the proces

The Director General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the incident in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

NAN reports that the incident occurred at 29 Adedoyin Str. inward Ajangbadi, Ojo Local Government Area of the State, at about 6:pm on Wednesday.

Oke-Osanyintolu, however, said no loss of life nor injury was recorded at the scene of the incident.

“We have gone ahead to ensure that the occupants of the adjacent buildings have vacated from the building.

“The occupants of the adjacent building are forewarned of the imminent danger of continuous stay in the building without conducting a Non Destructive Integrity Test to ascertain the habitability of the building.

“The affected portion has been cordoned off while the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA), Zonal Office has been informed.

“The agency is to determine the integrity of the building and enforcement of the building code of the State to mitigate against any future disaster,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

He also appealed for the cooperation of the residents to stay away from the building for adequate safety and security.