April 9, Things You Need To Know

Latest happenings in the past 24 hours (April 8 – April 9)

• A 15-man COVID-19 medical team from China has landed in Nigeria.

They arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Wednesday afternoon, aboard a chartered Air Peace aircraft.

• The Lagos State government on Wednesday confirmed the death of a COVID-19 patient in the state.

Prof. Akin Abayomi, Commissioner of Health in the state disclosed that the deceased was a 66-year-old who recently returned from India.

• The Rivers State Government has declared Carveton Helicopters, Persona Non Grata in the state for endangering the lives of Rivers people by what it said is a suspicious operation of the company in the state.

Governor Nyesom Wike in a media address directed Local Government Council Chairmen to close the Offices of Carveton Helicopters across the state.

• The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed twenty two new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

NCDC, which made the announcement Wednesday night via its Twitter handle, noted that at the moment, Nigeria has 276 confirmed cases of the virus and 44 cases have been discharged.

• Some rooms at the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in Abuja were destroyed on Wednesday by fire.

The fire started at the Treasure House, which was recently renovated, but was put out by men of the fire service.

• At least 78 Lagos State residents have been arrested and convicted for violating “the principles of social distancing”.

The Lagos Police Command’s spokesman, Bala Elkana, in a statement on Wednesday, said the convicted persons were arrested playing football on major streets and having group exercise in large number.

• The Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has alleged foul play by the Buhari administration after fire gutted some rooms at the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ologbondiyan claimed that the fire is not unconnected with the call for a probe into subsidy payments made by the government since 2015 when Buhari became president.

Read Also: Lagos Not Ready To Accept Chinese Doctors But…. — Prof. Abayomi

• A total of 91 people will be put under quarantine, after returning to Nigeria through land borders, as the COVID-19 continues to spread.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, speaking at a press conference organised by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja on Wednesday, said 67 persons had already arrived at the country’s land border.

• The Katsina State Government has lifted suspension on Friday congregational prayers earlier stopped due to COVID-19.

Secretary to the State Government, Mustapha Inuwa, said the decision was an outcome of a meeting between the government, religious leaders, traditional rulers and security agents.

• The Lagos State Government has withdrawn charges against Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Babatunde Gbadamosi. Naira Marley and Gbadamosi were scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday at the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Ogba for violation of social gathering order.

But a Defence Counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, (SAN) disclosed that the government withdrew the four counts filed against the three defendants.

April 9