Headlines
COVID-19: Nigeria Records 200 Deaths in Four Weeks with 1,617 New Cases
As Nigeria continues to record more coronavirus infections, the direct adverse impact has been more fatalities.
A total of 112,004 infections have now been reported across the nation with 1,617 new cases, the second highest daily tally, found in 18 states on Monday.
Also on Monday, 14 people died from the disease raising the total fatality toll to 1,449, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
In the previous 24 hours, Nigeria reported one of it’s deadliest day of the pandemic with 15 people dying from the disease on Sunday.
This is coming a few days after the global coronavirus death toll surpassed two million.
As countries begin to roll out the COVID-19, experts anticipate there will be a reduction in mortality but there have been more deaths especially in countries where the second wave of the virus is spreading unrestrained.
In the past four weeks, there have been over 200 fatalities as a result of COVID-19 complications in Nigeria.
The rise in mortality shows that the second wave of the pandemic is deadlier than the first as more patients are symptomatic and require breathing support.
“The reason for rise in fatalities is not far-fetched. When there are is a sharp rise in new cases, there will definitely be more deaths”, said Chikwe Ihekweazu, head of the NCDC.
Active cases in the country rose sharply from about 3,000 about two months ago to over 20,000 due to a rise in new infections.
Of the over 112,000 cases so far, 89,939 patients have been discharged from hospitals after treatment.
Specifics
The 1, 617 new cases were reported from the following 18 states: Lagos-776
Kaduna-147
Kwara-131
FCT-102
Plateau-78
Edo-59
Ogun-53
Osun-45
Rivers-37
Taraba-36
Nasarawa-34
Adamawa-33
Kano-26
Delta-20
Ebonyi-16
Bayelsa-11
Gombe-11
Borno-2
Lagos, again, led with 776 new cases on Monday, nearly half of the daily total. The commercial city is Nigeria’s coronavirus epicentre with a total of over 40,000 confirmed cases and over 270 deaths.
The Minister of State for Health, Mr Mamora, warned Nigerians against complacency in containing the COVID-19 pandemic as the much-awaited vaccines may not arrive the country as soon as expected.
The government said it is expecting to start receiving vaccines for the disease by the end of the month but many global experts and bodies told PREMIUM TIMES that that is “almost likely impossible”.
So far, Nigeria has conducted over 1.1 million COVID-19 tests.
Premium Times
Former governor of Anambra State, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has officially defected to the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Obi announced the decision on Tuesday at an event held at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu.
“We are ending this year with the hope that in 2026 we will begin a rescue journey,” Obi said.
The National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark, was among the attendees.
United States Representative Riley Moors has said further military strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria could follow recent operations ordered by President Donald Trump, describing the actions as aimed at improving security and protecting Christian communities facing violence.
Moore made the remarks during a televised interview in which he addressed U.S. military strikes carried out on Christmas Day against militant targets in North-west Nigeria.
The strikes were conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, according to U.S. and Nigerian officials.
“President Trump is not trying to bring war to Nigeria, he’s bringing peace and security to Nigeria and to the thousands of Christians who face horrific violence and death,” Moore said.
He said the Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State affiliates had provided hope to Christians in Nigeria, particularly in areas affected by repeated attacks during past festive periods.
According to U.S. authorities, the strikes targeted camps used by Islamic State-linked groups operating in parts of north-west Nigeria.
Nigerian officials confirmed that the operation was carried out with intelligence support from Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.
The United States Africa Command said the operation was intended to degrade the operational capacity of extremist groups responsible for attacks on civilians and security forces.
Nigerian authorities have described the targeted groups as a threat to national security, noting their involvement in killings, kidnappings and raids on rural communities.
Moore said the strikes marked a shift from previous years in which attacks were carried out against civilians during the Christmas period. He said the U.S. administration was focused on preventing further violence by targeting militant groups before they could launch attacks.
U.S. officials have said the military action was carried out with the consent of the Nigerian government and formed part of broader security cooperation between the two countries. Nigeria has received intelligence, training and logistical support from international partners as it seeks to contain militant activity.
Moore had previously called for stronger international attention to attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and has urged continued U.S. engagement in addressing extremist violence. He said further action would depend on developments on the ground and continued coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Nigerian officials have maintained that counter-terrorism operations are directed at armed groups threatening civilians, regardless of religion, and have reiterated their commitment to restoring security across affected regions.
World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.
