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.
Premium Times
The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (NWC) has suspended the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade; National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; and National Organizing Secretary, Umaru Bature for one month.
The suspension comes on the heels of the judgement of the Federal High Court On Friday, which stopped the party’s planned national convention.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, told journalists in Abuja on Saturday, that the decision followed an emergency meeting of the national working committee, which was held in Abuja.
President Donald Trump of the United States on Friday designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), in response to allegations of widespread persecution and genocide against Christians.
Writing on his Truth Social account, Trump stated that Christianity faces a serious threat in Nigeria.
The US leader also added Nigeria to a State Department watch list.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote.
According to the US president, he was placing Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer and most populous nation, on a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations the US deems to have engaged in religious freedom violations.
According to the State Department’s website, the list includes China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan, among others.
Trump said he had asked US Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, as well as the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, to look into the matter and report back to him.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Hon. Abubakar Gummi from the House of Representatives after he left the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress.
The lawmaker represented the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in Zamfara State.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the ruling, holding that Gummi’s defection breached the Constitution.
The court said the seat does not belong to any politician but to the political party that sponsored the election.
According to the judgment, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, is barred from recognising Gummi “as a member representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency.”
The judge also instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission to “conduct a fresh election” for the vacant seat within 30 days.
The case was instituted by the PDP and its Zamfara chairman, who insisted that Gummi’s move to the APC had no legal justification. They argued that there was no division in the PDP to support his defection, as required by Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution.
Gummi, through his counsel, claimed he left the PDP due to internal crises which he said made it “impossible” to serve his constituents effectively. The judge, however, dismissed his arguments and granted all the reliefs requested by the plaintiffs.
Justice Egwuatu, in a firm comment, warned politicians against what he described as reckless party hopping.
“Political prostitution must not be rewarded,” he declared, adding that lawmakers must not transfer votes won on one party’s platform to another party.
The court also ordered Gummi to refund all salaries and allowances received from October 30, 2024, until the date of judgment. He is also barred from earning any further benefits as a member of the House.
Additionally, the judge imposed a N500,000 cost against the defendants in favour of the PDP.
