News
Edo Shuts Markets As Two Fresh COVID-19 Cases Are Recorded
Edo State Government on Monday recorded two fresh cases of the novel coronavirus bringing the total number in the state to 11.
It was also announced that Governor Godwin Obaseki who has been in isolation for the past 14 days will personally lead the battle against coronavirus from today (Tuesday).
The Deputy Governor of the state, Mr Philip Shaibu, who addressed the press on the update on COVID-19 said the state governor was in good health condition and held meetings with traditional rulers and local chairmen via Skype.
He said worried by the cases, the state government had ordered the closure of all markets from 12 midnight of Tuesday (today) while the food section would be relocated to the field of nearby public primary or secondary schools.
According to him, the state government, which now has 234 contact tracing, had made the wearing of face masks mandatory for those moving out of their homes.
Shaibu maintained that anyone caught moving about without a face mask as a precautionary measure would be sanctioned.
“These measures were put in place to save residents of the state from contracting the disease. Information reaching the state government indicated that some returnees who are of Edo origin were using hotels to self-isolate. I want to say that henceforth, the state government has banned the use of hotels and homes for self isolation,” he said.
The deputy governor narrated how one of the 11 that tested positive reportedly took a public transport to Irrua Specialist Hospital instead of taking a taxi. He said he was referred to the specialist hospital from the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
“Only God knows how many people he has infected with the disease. And that is why we are tracing those who may have had contact with the man that tested positive. It may not be just his family members alone but those that boarded the same vehicle with him,” he said.
He advised anyone that suspected having symptoms of the disease should approach any of the four isolation centres located across the three senatorial districts of the state, including Stella Obasanjo Hospital, Benin City where the state has two isolation centres and one holding centre.
The deputy governor added that the state government had put in place a screening centre to receive anyone in the state for any ailment, noting that “COVID-19 is here with us, so everyone should join hands with us to fight the disease.”
Also speaking, representative of World Health Organisation, Mrs Faith Ireye, pointed out that samples from 61 persons indicated that 50 were negative while 11 were positive.
“I am very glad the state government has ordered that the markets be shut down from midnight of tomorrow (Tuesday) because anytime I pass through the market and see the way people are crowded, there is no self distancing. But from tomorrow, I think we will begin to have some relief.
“I want to inform us that from the confirmed cases in the contacts that we have seen whose specimen were taken to the laboratory, we found out that they walked into the virus. Let me talk about the last case whose two relations are positive. He got it from his two friends who came from Italy and the United Kingdom. The two have gone back but they left the virus with us. So, please self distancing is very important.
“We have 11 cases and from that 11, we are tracing 234 contacts. Two weeks ago, it was just one, now we have 11. If we continue like this, by the middle of this month, we will be having 22,” she said.
She stated that social distancing and regular washing of hands were key to warding off the pandemic from spreading.
The Punch
By Eric Elezuo
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has announced the kickoff of the 2026 West African Second-term School Certificate Examination, saying it would be computer-based, and decrying the decline of male participation as against their female counterparts.
The Council made the disclosure on Monday, while addressing the media at its National Office in Yaba, Lagos, on steps so far taken to ensure a hitchfree 2026 Examination.
In his address, the Head of National Office, Mr. Jacob Josiah Dangut, remarked that the 2026 computer-based WASSEC, started on April 21, 2026 with practical test papers, stressing that the nitty gritty parts of the exercise will kick off on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, therefore the reason for the sensitization of the Nigerian public on the exams.
He noted that nearly two million candidates registered to sit for the examinations.
In his words, “A total of 1,959,636 candidates from 24,207 schools enrolled for the examination.
“Of this number, 958,564 candidates (48.92%) are male, while 1,001,072 candidates (51.08%) are female. This reflects an increase in female participation and a decline in male participation compared to last year.”
Dangut called on policy formulations to take the matter serious so as to reinvent the urge for education among the malefolks.
Meanwhile, Dangut informed the public that candidates are being tested in 37 subjects across 97 papers, supervised by about 29,000 senior secondary teachers nominated by state ministries of education.
Dangut said the rise in computer-based entries followed the successful debut of the format in 2025, with more schools and offshore institutions adopting it for its efficiency and alignment with global standards.
The 2026 exercise will run through to June 19th.
The simmering political battle in Rivers State appears to have taken a fresh turn, following the screening of aspirants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primaries, with several loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara failing to make the party’s final list.
In a development already stirring political intrigue across the state, former Obio/Akpor council chairman Chijioke Ihunwo and serving lawmakers Sokari Goodboy and Victor Oko-Jumbo — all widely regarded as strong allies of Governor Fubara — were among those not cleared by the party’s screening committee for various reasons.
Political observers are interpreting their failure to scale through as more than just a routine internal party exercise. They say it is the latest signal of the deepening political fault lines in Rivers, where Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Minister Nyesom Wike, remain locked in a prolonged struggle for political supremacy.
On the other side of the divide, the list of cleared aspirants appears to favour established political figures and returning lawmakers, largely seen as loyal to the Wike camp.
Among those cleared are:
Maol Dumle
Major Jack
Enemi Alabo George
Tonye Smart Adoki
Tekenari Granville
Their emergence is being viewed as a reinforcement of the influence of the former governor within the APC structure in Rivers State.
The screening exercise, announced by Rivers APC publicity secretary Chibike Ikenga, comes at a politically sensitive time, with alignments already forming ahead of future elections and control of the Rivers State House of Assembly remaining a critical battleground.
For many political watchers, the outcome raises fresh questions: Is the APC in Rivers consolidating into a single power bloc? And does this effectively shut the door on Fubara’s loyalists seeking alternative political platforms?
Fubara, elected under the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, joined the APC last year, following a political dispute with Wike.
The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has been factionalized ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The rival factions emerged after its chairman, Governor Hope Uzodimma, was reportedly removed on Thursday.
While Uzodimma insists that he remains PGF chairman, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun and his Kwara State counterpart, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, are reportedly leading a separate faction.
Another bloc within the forum has reportedly queued behind the duo of Abiodun and AbdulRazaq.
The development, which comes amid growing political realignments within the ruling party, marks a significant crack in the ranks of APC governors ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to reports by Arise TV, details surrounding the disagreement remain unclear, but sources within the party said tensions have been building over internal leadership control and strategic positioning ahead of the next election season.
As of the time of filing this report, none of the factions had made an official clarification regarding the alleged division.
