Television Nigerian

Muslim faithful

…As Muslim youths pelt taskforce members with stones in Yola

By By Umar Yusuf, Perez Brisibe and Bashir Bello

Muslim faithful in some parts of the country yesterday ignored the directive by the various state governments on social distancing in order to curtail the spread of COVID- 19  as they thronged the mosques enmass to observe the juma’at prayers. This happened in Kano, Yola and Ughelli in Delta state.

In Kano, although the Kano state government had not issued any order banning the people from attending the congregational prayer in Mosques or Churches, Governor Umar Ganduje had often preached social distancing and even demonstrated it in one of the State Executive Council meetings where they shifted their sitting from the usual Council Chamber to Africa House which was more spacious to observe the social distancing.

A visit to some juma’at mosques in Kano showed that the faithful ignored the social distancing directive. Some of the mosques visited included the Central Mosque in Emir of Kano’s palace, Kofar Nassarawa mosque, and Kofar Gadon Kaya mosque.

A worshipper, Al-Amin Albarra who spoke with Saturday Vanguard said they observed the prayer according to the Islamic teachings and the teachings of the Holy Messenger of Allah and were not observing any social distancing which was not recognized by the teachings.

A reliable source in one of the enforcement agencies told Vanguard that a critical meeting was held with religious leaders over banning of congregational prayers but at the end of the meeting it was resolved that enforcement agencies would be deployed to control the crowd in such places but this has not been effective.

In Ughelli, despite the lockdown order by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, hundreds of Muslim worshippers yesterday defied the order as they gathered at the Okorodafe Mosque for the Juma’at service.

The main Mosque along Isoko Road, also held Jumat service contrary to the social distancing order but the crowd was minimal compared to the Okorodafe Mosque.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had ordered a 14-day lockdown order from Wednesday as a measure to prevent the spread of the Corona Virus in the state”.

Observing the flouting of the lockdown order at Ughelli, a team of policemen who stationed their hilux van at the Okorodafe roundabout to ensure that the lockdown was implemented, watched helplessly as the crowd from the mosque dispersed at the end of the prayer.

Giving reasons why they failed to accost the worshippers for flouting the social distancing order, one of the policemen said they decided to allow them (worshippers) since the prayer was very short as against the normal timing.

The policeman who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Apart from the fact that the service was shorter than usual, we didn’t want to cause any tension, hence we allowed them to be and ensured that they dispersed immediately.”

Similarly, in Yola, Adamawa state capital, there was commotion and breakdown of law and order  Friday afternoon when some Muslim faithful attempted to defy the lockdown order to observe the Jumat prayers.

READ ALSO: Pray against COVID-19, Chief Imam of Lagos, Baba Adinni urge Muslims

Though some were said to have sustained injuries, but the situation was quickly put under control by the combined taskforce. The clash occurred at about 2:00pm on Friday, when the operatives arrived the Damilu Juma’at mosque to enforce the lockdown order, according to a worshipper. The Damilu mosque, opposite the Air force base, allegedly called for Juma’at prayer in defiance of the lockdown order, imposed by the the government.

Violence erupted when a combined team of law enforcement operatives, stormed the mosque and directed the imam and some top officials of the mosque to suspend the prayers.

Irate youths at the prayer ground were said to have violently attacked the operatives, pelting them with stones and metals.

An eye witness said that many worshippers and security men alike, sustained injuries in the violent clash.

The police have however denied the claim, saying there was neither violence nor arrest at the mosque.

Spokesperson for the Adamawa police command, Suleiman Nguroje, said no injury was inflicted on any worshipper.

H said, “we were patrolling round the city to monitor compliance with the lockdown order, when we got a distress call that something was happening around Damilu Jumma’at mosque. On getting there, we learnt the imam had earlier told the congregation to disperse because there wouldn’t be Jumma’at prayer today (yesterday). But some youths started shouting ‘Allahu akbar’, causing panic and scare.

“However, our men were timely, so we were able to contain the situation before it degenerated into violence. Therefore, I can confirm to you that no one was injured nor arrested as claimed”, he said.

Vanguard

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The Commissioner of Police in Enugu state, Mr Ahmad Abdurrahman, has enjoined residents of the state to be vigilant to notice any suspicious person(s) and object(s) lurking within their neighbourhood.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement in Enugu on Saturday that the commissioner’s warning had become necessary in this stay-at-home period necessitated by the Coronavirus pandemic.

It said that the Command’s hotlines/emergency numbers: 08032003702, 08075390882 and 080866712020 were always available for complaints, enquiries or suggestions.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: South Africa police evict migrants in Cape Town

`”`Residents can also reach the Command’s electronic mail, which is contact042ppro@gmail.com,’’ the statement said.

It said that the commissioner urged law-abiding citizens of the state to report criminals and acts of criminality to the nearest police or police personnel to nip crime in the bud.

“”The commissioner reaffirms the Command’s commitment to make life unbearable for unrepentant criminal elements in the state, especially in these trying times of the COVID-19 scourge.

“”To this end, the commissioner charges all officers in the Command to remain resolute and redouble their efforts in ensuring that the state remains peaceful and crime-free even in the face of the ravaging virus,’’ it added.

Vanguard

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Many communities in Kwara South Senatorial District have been thrown into prolonged power outage for five days running.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this followed a faulty 132kv transmitter line.

A NAN correspondent in Omu-Aran who monitored the development on Saturday, reports that the issue had generated tension in the area and also compounded the effects of the sit-at-home directive over COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of the affected communities such as Omu-Aran, Offa, Erin-Ile, Ijagbo, Ajase-Ipo, Oke-onigbin, Oro, Iloffa, Odo-Owa, Osi and some parts of Kogi, Osun and Ondo were known to enjoy relative regular power supply before the recent total outage.

Some of the residents, in their separate remarks, expressed disappointment over the sudden power outage, lamenting that such happened without prior notice from the electricity management.

Mr Peter Olubukola, an auto spare parts dealer, expressed disappointment over the breakdown in communication between electricity consumers and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) over the power outage.

“First of all, the power outage coming at this time of COVID-19 pandemic is like adding salt to injury.

“The most annoying aspect is the confusion it has generated because of the lack of communication and understanding on what actually led to the outage.

“Some people were even insinuating sabotage on the part of the company until recently, we learnt through the social media that it was a technical fault.

“I think the company needs to evolve a better way of handling such situation positively in the future,” Olubukola said.

READ ALSO: Leakage: Emergency responders battle to avert pipeline explosion in Mosan, Lagos

Mrs Ashiat Adebayo, a cold room operator in Offa, in her remarks, said the outage had affected her business negatively as she could not afford the cost of running on electricity generator over the prolonged power outage.

“My cold room business have been negatively affected by the prolonged power outage since it started on Tuesday.

“Even for the fact that we are allowed to operate to serve the people following the sit-at-home directive over the Coronavirus outbreak.

“We only hope and pray that the electricity company puts in their best to ensure that power is restored as soon as possible because people are tired of the situation,” she said.

Mr James Abiodun, a Community Leader in Osi, appealed to the people in the affected areas to cooperate with the electricity management in finding solution to the recent power outage.

“I’m appealing to our people, especially the youth, to please exercise restraint and allow the IBEDC management find solution to the power problem so that electricity can be restored as soon as possible.

“We should not because of this take law into our hands. We all know that we have a critical situation on our hands before the sudden power outage which we must not allow to escalate.

“Let’s be law abiding and patriotic citizens,” Abiodun added.

Mr Kola Alege, IBEDC Business Manager, Omu-Aran Business Hub, said the company was working assiduously to ensure the restoration of electricity in the affected communities.

Alege expressed the company’s gratitude to the affected consumers for their patience and understanding.

“Our men are working round the clock. It’s a kind of technical problem but hopefully very soon electricity will be restored,” he said.

A team of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and IBEDC is working earnestly to restore electricity back to the affected communities. (NAN)

VANGUARD

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The Osun State Government has disclosed that only a returnee among the isolated coronavirus victim in Ejigbo is missing against the six earlier reported by the media.

It stated the headcount of the returnees in the isolation centre revealed that only one cannot be accounted for by the officials in charge of the centre.

A statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode said the state government did not issue any statement to declare any six persons missing from the isolation centre.

She added that government is investigating the matter with a view to recovering the missing patient and traced all other persons the person might have had contact with.

The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to a story purporting that six persons were missing from our Isolation centre in Ejigbo.

One of the writers quoted a non-existent statement from the government to lend some measure of credibility to the story.

Nothing can be further from the truth. As a government, we have not issued any statement to confirm or deny such story. Besides, a quick check showed that the name and number of the first person on the list of the purported missing patients are indeed currently in our facility in Ejigbo.

Recall that about a week ago, we received 127 returnees from Ivory Coast and we have kept them since then to avoid community transfer of the virus.

This morning we embarked on a headcount and found out that only one person could not be accounted for by officials stationed at the Isolation centre out of the 127 persons.

The State Government is currently investigating the matter and will ensure that the missing person is brought back to the Isolation centre and we will also ensure we trace all his contacts.

We want to reiterate that any official(s) found culpable will also be dealt with accordingly.

We implore members of the public to discountenance the alarm being raised. We will continue to do everything to protect the lives of our citizens in this fight against Coronavirus”.

UGHELLI South Local Government Council Committee on Evaluation, Monitoring and Enforcement on COVID-19, Delta State, has shut down two churches for failing to comply with the lockdown order of the State Government.

The council Chairman, Dr. Richard Kofi in a statement, said as part of measures to curtail any advent of the disease in the council area, the “local government had constituted Evaluation, Monitoring and Enforcement Committees in the various

communities in partnership with the various traditional rulers and community leaders in Ughelli South Local Government Area”.

Expressing satisfaction with the level of compliance with the stay-at-home directive, he said “all the communities visited, in spite of their rural nature complied with the State Government’s directives.

“The Committee is working tirelessly with the various stakeholders in the war against coronavirus. And nothing short of victory is expected.”

Also, the Egbema and Gbaramatu and Community Development Foundation, EGCDF, has donated food items worth millions of naira to indigenes of the communities to cushion the effect the lockdown as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Presenting the items to the communities, Chairman, EGCDF, Comrade Jude Ebitimi Ukori, said “This is indeed a challenging time for the whole world, it is an unusual time for us in the world. So I want to challenge our people to adhere to all government orders.

“The COVID-19 is already in Nigeria, we should advise ourselves to stay at home and strictly adhere to the orders of Federal and State Governments to ensure that the virus did not cause more harm to us.

“We strongly believe that COVID-19 is a stranger and it must go out of Niger Delta”. He appealed to the Delta State Government to pay special attention to the riverine communities which he said are in difficult terrain.

Meanwhile, a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress in the State, Mr Chidi Uwabuofu has expressed fears that the lockdown could become suicidal if government at all levels fail to provide palliatives for the people.

Uwabuofu, in a statement, said “Trapping farmers in their houses without alternative mechanisms for achieving food security in Nigeria may turn the management of the outbreak of COVID-19 into catastrophe.

“It is plausible to suggest that government should ensure food security if it must order Nigerians to stay-at-home to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

“Looking for feasible ways to combat the deadly virus, we shouldn’t copycat European antidotes, our government must consider our people’s ways of living. That being said, government must allow our farmers to continue with their farming activities with guidelines on how to maintain social distancing in their farms”

The Osun State Government has disclosed that only a returnee among the isolated coronavirus victim in Ejigbo is missing against the six earlier reported by the media.

It stated the headcount of the returnees in the isolation centre revealed that only one cannot be accounted for by the officials in charge of the centre.

A statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode said the state government did not issue any statement to declare any six persons missing from the isolation centre.

She added that government is investigating the matter with a view to recovering the missing patient and traced all other persons the person might have had contact with.

The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to a story purporting that six persons were missing from our Isolation centre in Ejigbo.

One of the writers quoted a non-existent statement from the government to lend some measure of credibility to the story.

Nothing can be further from the truth. As a government, we have not issued any statement to confirm or deny such story. Besides, a quick check showed that the name and number of the first person on the list of the purported missing patients are indeed currently in our facility in Ejigbo.

Recall that about a week ago, we received 127 returnees from Ivory Coast and we have kept them since then to avoid community transfer of the virus.

This morning we embarked on a headcount and found out that only one person could not be accounted for by officials stationed at the Isolation centre out of the 127 persons.

The State Government is currently investigating the matter and will ensure that the missing person is brought back to the Isolation centre and we will also ensure we trace all his contacts.

We want to reiterate that any official(s) found culpable will also be dealt with accordingly.

We implore members of the public to discountenance the alarm being raised. We will continue to do everything to protect the lives of our citizens in this fight against Coronavirus”.

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, on Saturday confirmed the death of a COVID-19 patient in the hospital.

Prof. Chris Bode, LUTH Chief Medical Director, made this known in a statement issued by Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of LUTH, on his behalf.

According to him, a man was brought unconscious to LUTH Emergency late in the evening of Wednesday, April 2 by his friend.

“Although they denied any history of recent travel, his presentation strongly suggested Covid-19.

“He was handled professionally by the Infectious Diseases Consultant and his team without unduly exposing LUTH staff to danger. He died a few hours later.

“Further investigations later revealed he had earlier performed a test at Yaba soon after he travelled back to Nigeria from Holland and the test was positive.

“He was a known diabetic hypertensive patient. He also had a kidney transplant for chronic kidney disease and was on immunosuppressant drugs.

“The corpse has since been handed over to the appropriate Unit of the Lagos State Ministry of Health for safe burial according to international best practices.

“Our Department of Community Medicine has moved swiftly to trace, follow-up and assist gallant staff who managed the patient,” Bode said.

He said that LUTH management implored all members of staff to continue observing strict standard protocols while handling all patients as medical personnel are especially at increased risk from such undisclosed exposure.

“All efforts are being made to ensure the availability of all required items to continue the effective management of such cases that come to LUTH.

“Efforts are also in top gear to complete the isolation facility in LUTH for management of any possible spillover from the Yaba Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) if the surge in patients’ load continues,” Bode said.

The Cross River State response team chairman and Commissioner for health, Dr Betta Edu, Secretary and Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Asuquo Ekpenyong and other members of the team have categorically maintained that the state is Covid-19 free.

They made the assertion at press briefing on Friday, April 3rd, 2020 at the health commissioner office, while concurring,

“There is no suspected or confirmed case in Cross River State” as the results of the samples to Laboratory in Iruan, Edo state have all come negative.

Dr Betta Edu said that the very proactive steps of the Governor Sen Ben Ayade at this point has distinguished CRS and kept us above the Pack.

The team explained that the number one strategy of the state government in battling Covid-19 is prevention ; noting that the government with stakeholders and line MDAs have embarked on a lot of sensitization through urging Cross Riverians on regular hand washing with soap as well as using of alcohol based hand sanitizers.

The chairman, Dr. Betta Edu recalled that there are two Isolation centres in the state located at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) which has been equipped by  the Cross River State Government and the other at General Hospital, Ogoja. That earlier 5200 personal prevention equipment (PPEs) were distributed across the state and more will be sent to the isolation centers if the need arise.

The response team informed that the state Governor, Sir Ben Ayade has authorized the production and distribution of Nose masks and hand sanitizers to everyone free of charge.

Adding that palliative measures using world bank data will be used for issuance of food stuff.

It strongly encouraged the citizenry to observe the state government orders which include, stay at home; use of face/nose masks in all public places; use of hand sanitizers and regular hand washing as potent preventive measures against the ravaging Coronavirus. That enforcement for the use of masks has been shifted to 06/04/2020 being Monday next week.

Across section of members present at the media briefing were; Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Comrade Asu Okang, Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Okon Owuna; Commissioner for Welfare Humanitarian services, Mrs. Blessing Egbara; Chairman, Cross River State House of Assembly committee on health Dr. Ekpo Ekpo Bassey and permanent secretary ministry of water related resources , Dr. Joseph Bassey and other dignitaries.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FTCA), has designated the Asokoro District Hospital as a quarantine facility to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

The facility was designed for isolation of persons who had contacts with those infected with Coronavirus disease.

To this end, the hospital on Saturday began to suspend its Out Patient Department (OPD) to protect visiting patients from exposure to COVID-19.

A News Agency of Nigeria  (NAN) correspondent who visited the hospital on Saturday reports that all the clinics were closed to patients while the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit was also shut.

NAN also reports that patients who used to collect routine drugs were being given drugs that could last them for at least three months of the initial quarantine.

FCT is ranked second to Lagos in exposure to COVID-19 pandemic, a situation that prompted the Federal Government to place the territory on complete lockdown alongside two other endemic states.

NAN reports, however, that in spite of the lockdown some motorists were plying the roads while youths and families utilised Saturday morning for outdoor aerobics around Kari – Orozo axis in Abuja.

Spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Dr.Hakeem Baba Ahmed has belittled the N20,000 allegedly given as palliative to select Nigerians by the Federal Government.

He reminded the Buhari-led Federal Government that the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria was not a child’s play but a national emergency which required a change of tactics by the Federal and state governments.

Speaking in an interview on RFI, Hausa Service, Dr.Baba Ahmed said it was irrational on the part of government to confine people in their homes without preparing on their mode of survival ,before doing so.

Dr.Ahmed was President Buhari’s returning officer when Chief Orubebe publicly protested against the then INEC’s verdict that favored the APC presidential candidate.

According to him, “this curfew imposed on societies where people are extremely poor,need a second look.”

“We are calling on the government to revisit the matter…government has the money.. Nigeria has never witnessed such a disaster. How can you ask people to stay indoors, people that have no means of livelihood? This could be impossible. “.

“The government should assist the people… Government has the money,they should give enough to the people if not poverty will make the poor to flout the stay at home order.”

“The government should use public funds and the money it got from donations to assist the people,” he said.