Headlines
Nigeria Records 626 New Coronavirus Cases, Total Now 27, 110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 626 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 27,110.
Thirteen deaths were recorded from the virus on Thursday bringing the total number of confirmed deaths from the virus to 616.
The Ondo commissioner for health, Wahab Adegbenro, was reported to have died from the virus on Thursday.
There was a drop in the number of confirmed cases reported on Thursday (626) compared to what was reported on Wednesday (790).
Wednesday’s figure was the country’s highest yet.
The health agency in a tweet Thursday night said the new cases were reported in 20 states.
These are Lagos, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oyo, Edo, Kwara, Abia, Ogun, Ondo, Rivers, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Enugu, Kaduna, Plateau, Borno, Bauchi, Adamawa, Gombe, and Sokoto States.
All the reporting states already had at least a case of the virus.
As of the time of reporting, 35 states and the FCT have recorded at least a case of the disease. Only one state, Cross River, is yet to officially report any case of the virus although there are controversies about it.
Lagos remains the epicentre for the disease in the country. Zamfara has not reported any new confirmed case in the past 45 days.
“Till date, 27, 110 cases have been confirmed 10,801 cases have been discharged and 616 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” the NCDC stated.
The 626 new cases were reported from 20 states: Lagos – 193,FCT – 85, Oyo – 41, Edo – 38, Kwara – 34, Abia – 31, Ogun – 29, Ondo – 28, Rivers – 26, Akwa Ibom – 18, Delta – 18, Enugu – 15, Kaduna – 13, Plateau -11, Borno – 8, Bauchi – 7, Adamawa – 5, Gombe – 4 and Sokoto – 1.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria in February, NCDC said 141, 525 samples have so far been tested.
As of the time of reporting, there are 15, 693 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, while 10, 801 have recovered and have been discharged.
A breakdown of the 27, 110 confirmed cases shows that Lagos State has so far reported 10, 823 cases, followed by FCT – 2, 020, Oyo – 1, 432, Kano – 1, 257, Edo – 1, 203, Delta – 1, 149, Rivers – 1, 114, Ogun –898, Kaduna – 818, Katsina – 578, Bauchi – 512, Gombe – 511, Borno – 501, Ebonyi – 483, Plateau – 393, Ondo – 353, Imo – 352, Abia – 451, Enugu – 342, Jigawa – 318, Kwara – 369, Bayelsa – 324, Nasarawa – 213, Sokoto – 152, Osun – 148, Niger – 116, Akwa Ibom – 104, Adamawa – 89, Kebbi – 81, Zamfara – 76, Anambra – 73, Benue – 65, Yobe – 61, Ekiti – 43, Taraba – 19 and Kogi – 4.
The Director-General, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, during the Presidential Task Force briefing on Thursday, said “Statistics show the major drivers of COVID-19 spread are the younger populations, however people with underlying medical conditions and the elderly are most vulnerable.”
He said people over 50 years and those with preexisting medical conditions like diabetes are at a higher risk of complications due to COVID-19.
“We must take responsibility to keep them safe,” he added.
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The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
