Nigeria Records 338 New COVID-19 Cases, Total Infections Now 5959

Nigeria has recorded 338 new cases of the COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 5,959.

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) announced this late Sunday.

Of the new cases, 177 are confirmed to be in Lagos, 64 in Kano, 21 in FCT, 16 in Rivers, 14 in Plateau, 11 in Oyo

Also,9 in Katsina, 4-Jigawa, 4-Kaduna, 3-Abia, 3-Bauchi, 3-Borno, 2-Gombe 2-Akwa Ibom, 2-Delta, 1-Ondo, 1-Kebbi and 1-Sokoto.

Buhari To Address The Nation Today

President Muhammadu Buhari will address the nation in a broadcast on Monday following the end of the first phase of the gradual easing of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The president had addressed the nation on COVID-19 measures on three previous occasions.

Sani Aliyu, the national coordinator of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19, made the disclosure when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

The president was given a situation report on COVID-19 by Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) and chairman of the PTF, on Sunday.

Buhari will in the broadcast announce to Nigerians whether or not the country would go ahead with the second phase of the easing of the lockdown.

Buhari meets with Presidential Task Force to determine next phase of lockdown

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, had an audience with the Presidential Task Force PTF on the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic at the State House, Abuja.

The task force members  led by SGF, Mr. Boss Mustapha met  with Buhari  ahead of this week’s review of the current easing of the lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as well as Lagos and Ogun States.

Buhari had on May 4 , relaxed the lockdown , and imposed a dusk- to - dawn curfew, ban on inter- state movements, compulsory use of face masks, amongst others across the country.

The PTF at different times, have expressed their displeasure at how Nigerians have failed to adhere to the guidelines for partial lockdown.

It is believed that the meeting today, was to review the compliance level and decide on strategies moving forward.

Family raises alarm over daughter’s death, secret burial by friends

Did 20-year-old Margeret Adiya Ikumu die of natural causes? Did she authorise her friends to bury her and not allow her family access to her body after her death? Who are these friends of hers and where have they ran to?

The above are issues investigators at the Lagos State Police Command would have to unravel following a petition submitted at the weekend by the late Ikumu’s family.

The distraught family on Tuesday read about the death of their daughter on her Facebook page (Margaret David).

It was gathered that the deceased, a native of Idoma in Benue State left the village last year with no one knowing her whereabouts.

The young woman was said to have lived her early years in the city with an inlaw who relocated her back to the village upon completion of her secondary education.

Unknown to the family, Ikumu returned to Lagos but not to any of her relatives. It was after the news of her death broke that they discovered she was living with her friends, Marvellous Mary and Nneka Buddy (Facebook accounts that have now been deactivated).

In the petition dated May 15 and signed by Tony Iji, the family alleged that when they saw the obituary comments on their sister’s Facebook wall, they tried to call her mobile phone 0811377322 but it has remained switched off.

They also contacted one of the ladies alleged to have stated they lived to together who she sent pictures of a wrapped body and a casket telling them Ikumu was for burial on Thursday.

“It was Marvellous Mary we were in touch with on her number 07040869026. She sent a note that Margaret authorised them to bury her when she died and that they should not allow us access to her body.

We do not know what killed her nor what would have made her leave such a note, that’s if indeed she did. She told us they were burying her on Thursday and that she died on Monday.

“The lady insulted family members and accused us of not taking her of our sister when she was alive. We are still in shock over all that has happened and do not understand it yet.

When we insisted, the lady threatened to destroy the sim card she used to chat us so that we cannot reach her again. They also deactivated their Facebook accounts.

“All efforts we made to locate them in order to stop the burial were unsuccessful. We sent people round Lekki and Ajah areas with her photograph and other things we believed she could be identified by but no one knew her.

We contacted the police in Ajah but were told that since we do not know the exact location, it might not be within their jurisdiction. So, we had to petition the Commissioner of Police on Friday,” Iji told our Correspondent on telephone.

Urging the police to investigate circumstances that led to the death and burial of Ikumu, the family said another contact it had was that of one Sylvester who claimed to be the deceased’s boyfriend.

“The other person with little information about late Margaret is one Sylvester who claimed to be her boyfriend. He said that he learnt about the death of Margaret through Marvelous and Nneka but does not know where they live, though he is aware that late Margaret was living with them.

“To this end, the family is in a state of dilemma on how to get to the root of the story surrounding her demise. This has cost the family of late Margaret a lot of trauma, especially her mother who is insisting on seeing the body of her daughter if she is truly dead.

“We therefore appeal to the police authority under your leadership to wade in by investigating the incident with the view to establishing the facts and circumstances surrounding her death and eventual burial without the knowledge and consent of her family,” it said.

Checks on Ikumu’s Facebook page revealed that she might have hinted about her death on May 4 with her last post: “Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth. Who knows if this will be my last smile..

The Nation gathered that Ikumu and Sylvester last met last year though they spoke on phone during the lockdown period.

A source who refused to be named said the deceased was a hair stylist and worked at Marvellous Mary’s saloon on the island.

“I do not want my name in print please. I am too young for all these. What I know is that Margaret was sick. She was bleeding from the nose and was to undergo a nose surgery. I do not know if she died in the cause of the surgery or before or after it.

“She worked at the woman’s saloon and lived at her place. I think there were issues with her family but she did not open up much,” said the source.

Efforts to reach Marvellous on her mobile number provided were unsuccessful as the number was switched off.

Hers and Nneka’s Facebook names could not be located at the time of this report.

Contacted, spokesman for the police Command Bala Elkana confirmed the petition was received, adding that investigation was ongoing. (The Nation)

Couple and their guests take to their heels as COVID-19 task force disrupt their wedding (VIDEO)

A couple and their wedding guest took to their heels as COVID-19 taskforce disrupted the ceremony for breaching the rules of social distancing imposed by the government due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The incident took place at the Christ Apostolic Church in Calabar, the state capital yesterday Saturday, May 16.

In the video posted online, the wedding ceremony was still ongoing when the COVID-19 taskforce officials walked into the church while guests immediately took to their heels to avoid being arrested.

The couple who were at the altar at the time the officials stepped into the church were seen walking out of the church while the pastor was confronted by the Taskforce officials.

Watch the video below;

Ekiti begins massive drone, motorised fumigation across 16 LGAs

As part of efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus, the Ekiti State government has launched massive street fumigation across the 16 local government areas of the state with the use of drones and motorized fumigators.

Speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday while flagging off the programme,  Fayemi, represented by the  Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Gbenga Agbeyo, said the exercise became imperative to rid the state of the deadly COVID-19.

Fayemi stated that places already covered in Ado Ekiti include COVID-19 prone areas like: Bank road – Fajuyi, Adebayo – Opopogboro and  Fajuyi – Basiri – Iyin road.

“Dallimore Junction – Okeyinmi, Okesa – Ojumose -Post Office, Okeyinmi – New Garage – Ijigbo Roundabout and Post Office– Atikankan – Irona – Ijigbo Second roundabout and Mobile – Ajilosun – Ikere road will benefit from the gesture”.

"All the local government headquarters will be touched because we are mindful of the fact that we have to prevent community spread in a close society like Ekiti”.

The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary,  Mr. Olufemi Osasona, said the fumigation would be continuous until the Coronavirus is totally eradicated in Ekiti.

"The government enjoins Ekiti people to cooperate with the team as they would be moving round the remaining local governments to carrying out the fumigation exercise”.

The Director Environmental and Health Sanitation in the state, Mr. Tunde Balogun, appealed to the people to complement the government in combating the disease by obeying the lockdown directive and other hygienic practices stipulated by the World Health Organisation. (Vanguard)