COVID-19: Nigerian govt contemplates lockdown in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna

 

The Nigerian Government has disclosed that it is currently contemplating a targeted lockdown in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and other major cities in Nigeria, as the number of COVID-19 cases soars in the West African nation.

The government expressed worries that with more than 127,000 confirmed cases, Nigerians are still not obeying the safety protocols.

The National Incident Manager of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Mukhtar Muhammad, who appeared on Channels Television on Friday, said “Certainly, even if we are going to have a lockdown, it is not going to be a total lockdown.

“A couple of weeks back, we analysed the data and we identified the hotspot local government areas.”

“Mostly, the areas affected are the urban local governments in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Plateau.

“The urban areas are the most affected and that is why we have these superspreaders and that is where we are going to target. We have analysed that and we are advising the states based on the data that these are the focused areas where these transmissions are more than the others.”

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), reported 864 new coronavirus infections in the country on Friday morning.

The centre also confirmed the nation’s deaths toll to now stand at 1,547, adding that Lagos State recorded zero infection.

NCDC disclosed that FCT recorded the highest toll with 129 cases followed by Anambra’s 87.

NCDC tweeted, ”864 new cases of COVID- 19 in Nigeria.”

- DAILY POST

Security agents allegedly kill lecturer, graduate in Imo Polytechnic

 

A lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede Owerri in Imo State has been shot dead alongside a fresh graduate of Computer Science.

The lecturer whose name was given as Steve Nduka was said to have been shot dead while driving in his ES 330 Jeep near Air Force Base along Owerri-Aba road, Owerri, the State capital.

DAILY POST gathered that some security agents killed the computer science department lecturer as well as a student of the school, Nwokoro Chimaobi who has graduated from the institution.

A source said, “The lecturer was driving with his student and suddenly security agents fired gun shots at them, killing the two instantly.

The source further said that the victims might have been traced from afar by their killers.

When contacted, the police Spokesperson, Orlando Ikeokwu, said that an autopsy would be carried out to determine the cause of death.

- DAILY POST

Man bags 25-year jail term for defiling minor in Lagos

 

Nura Asumoge has been sentenced to 25-year-imprison by a Lagos Sexual Offence Court, Ikeja for forcefully having carnal knowledge of a 13-year-old.

Nura pleaded guilty to have sent the unsuspecting minor on an errand on 3rd April 2018, and forcefully raped her on her return and threatened her to not inform anyone.

Mrs. Arinola Momoh-Ayonkanmbi, the prosecuting counsel prayed the court to sentence the defendant accordingly having proven that the defendant committed the offence for which he was charged.

She said several evidence before the court proved the allegation of the crime levied against the defendant.

Hon. Justice Abiola Soladoye who presided on the case stated that the evidence provided by the prosecutors were credible, compelling, and provided enough grounds for the conviction of the defendant.

Justice Soladoye found Nura guilty and punishable under section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State (2015) and sentenced him accordingly.

“You are hereby sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for the offence of defilement of a 13-year-old girl”, Justice Soladoye ruled.

She also ordered that the Convict, Nura Asumoge’s name be entered into the Sexual Offenders Register in Lagos State.

- PM NEWS

New vaccine is ‘effective against UK COVID-19 strain’

Novavax, a new vaccine, has been shown to be 89.3 percent effective against COVID-19 in large-scale trials in the United Kingdom.

According to the BBC, the Novavax vaccine (NVX-CoV2373) is the first to show effectiveness against the new COVID-19 variant found in the UK.

The trial involved more than 15,000 people aged between 18 and 84 — and with 27 percent aged over 65.

Also, an early-stage study in South Africa was carried out on 4,400 people including volunteers with HIV.

The result of the trial in the country, where most of the cases are the new variant of the virus, showed that the vaccine was 60 percent effective among those without HIV while for immune-compromised volunteers, it offered 49 percent protection.

Stan Erck, chief executive of Novavax, was quoted as saying the results from the UK trial were “spectacular” and “as good as we could have hoped”, while the efficacy in South Africa was “above people’s expectations”.

He reportedly said the manufacturing plant in Stockton-on-Tees should be up and running by March or April while hoping to get approval for the vaccine from the Medicine and Health products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) around the same time.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a tweet on Thursday, welcomed the “good news” and said the UK’s medicines regulator would now assess the vaccine.

He said the UK has ordered 60 million doses of the vaccine. If approved, the doses are expected to be delivered in the second half of the year.

“Good news that the Novavax vaccine has proved effective in UK trials. Thank you to all the volunteers who made these results possible,” he tweeted.

“Our medicines regulator will now assess the vaccine, which will be made in Teesside. If approved, we have 60m doses on order.”

Paul Heath, chief investigator of the UK Novavax trial, said: “These are enormously exciting findings and show that this is a highly effective and safe Covid-19 vaccine – importantly it also shows that this is a vaccine that is effective against the UK variant that has spread so quickly.”

Matt Hancock, UK health secretary, also said the National Health Service (NHS) is ready to roll out the vaccine if approved.

“This is positive news and, if approved by the medicines regulator, the Novavax vaccine will be a significant boost to our vaccination programme and another weapon in our arsenal to beat this awful virus,” Hancock said.

“I’m proud the UK is at the forefront of another medical breakthrough and I want to thank the brilliant scientists and researchers, as well as the tens of thousands of selfless volunteers who took part in clinical trials.”

So far, three vaccines– Pfizer, Oxford/AztraZeneca, and Morderna– have been approved for emergency use in the UK.

- THECABLE

MAD MAN !!! Boko Haram will end soon – Buratai

 Leut.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, COAS, has expressed confidence that insurgency in the country, especially in the North East will end soon.

Buratai spoke during the Pulling Out Parade held in his honour at the Mogadishu Cantonment in Abuja on Friday.

“Let me thank my governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum. He has been supportive to me and of course, the Nigerian Army, especially in the fight against insurgency,” Buratai said.

“He came with a unique leadership and I assure you, collectively, the Nigerian Army and the Borno State Government will end this insurgency within the shortest possible time.

“I want to urge the COAS to maintain the momentum and the pressure to rid these last vestiges of the terrorists in the north-east,” he added.

The former army chief handed over to his successor, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru on Thursday.

Buratai and the other heads of security in the country resigned during the week and their resignation were immediately accepted by Muhammadu Buhari.

The Presidency also announced the appointment of the new security chiefs to introduce new ideas in the lingering battle against bandits and Boko Haram.

The new service chiefs, as DAILY POST had earlier reported, are: Major-General Leo Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff; Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao as Chief of Air Staff; Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo as Chief of Naval Staff; and General Ibrahim Attahiru as Chief of Army Staff.

- DAILY POST

Another 424 Nigerians stranded in Saudi Arabia arrive Abuja

 

Another 424 Nigerians stranded in Saudi Arabia arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Friday.

The stranded Nigerians arrived the airport via Saudi Air Flight at about 11:58 am local time.

The returnees, according to Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, would proceed on the mandatory 14 day quarantine.

She appealed to Nigerians to desist from illegal migration.

“424 more Nigerians stranded in Saudi have arrived Abuja. They will proceed on the mandatory 14 days quarantine . We appeal to Nigerians to desist from illegal migration.

“The returnees will join the 384 returnees that arrived yesterday and are currently undergoing quarantine at the Federal Capital Territory Hajj camp for 14 days in line with the revised COVID-19 protocols by the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

On Thursday, the first batch of 384 returnees of the 802 stranded Nigerians arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

They comprise 300 male, 83 female and one infant.

 - PM NEWS

Lekki shooting: Amnesty alleges cover-up, demands suspension of indicted officials

 

Amnesty International (AI) has demanded the suspension of officials indicted in the shooting of #EndSARS protesters at Lekki, Lagos state.

Osai Ojigho, AI country director in Nigeria, said the authorities in Nigeria have resorted to intimidating the supporters of the protest and covering up the incidents instead of ensuring justice for those killed.

Soldiers had opened fire at the Lekki tollgate where #EndSARS protesters converged to demand an end to police brutality and bad governance.

The Nigerian army later said it deployed soldiers to quell the peaceful protest following a request by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos state.

Ahmed Taiwo, an army representative, also told a Lagos panel that soldiers sent to the protest venue were “armed (with) blank bullets in addition to the live (bullets) they were carrying” because hoodlums had “sought to take advantage” of the situation.

In a statement issued on Thursday, 100 days after the Lekki shooting, AI said there is no justice yet for the 12 persons it earlier said were killed in the incident and in a related one in Alausa, Lagos.

“Nigerian authorities have failed to bring to justice those suspected to be responsible for the brutal crackdown by security forces on peaceful #EndSARS protesters at Lekki toll gate and Alausa in Lagos in October 2020 and have brazenly attempted to cover up the violence, said Amnesty International Nigeria today, 100 days on from the attacks,” Ojigho said.

“Since the assault by security forces, which killed at least 12 people, Nigerian authorities have targeted supporters of the protests against police brutality by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Some of the movement’s supporters have had their bank accounts frozen.

“The bloody events of 20 October 2020, when Nigerian security forces killed at least 12 people during the violent dispersal of peaceful #EndSARS protesters at Lekki and Alausa, have cast a shadow over Nigerian society that lingers to this day,” said Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.

“Instead of bringing suspected perpetrators to justice and prioritizing genuine police reforms, Nigerian authorities have been abusing their powers by subjecting those who supported the protests to intimidation, harassment and smear campaigns.”

The human rights watchdog asked the government to ensure “prompt, thorough, independent, impartial and effective investigations” into the incidents in Lagos and in other parts of the country “to identify and bring suspected perpetrators to justice in fair trials”.

“Those suspected to be responsible for the killings should be brought to justice in accordance with international fair trial standards,” Ojigho said.

- THECABLE