COVID-19: Lagos discharges five patients (Punch)
Five more patients undergoing treatment at isolation centres in Lagos State have been discharged.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, made this known in a tweet on Friday.
He said that the five newly-discharged patients bring the total number of patients that have recovered in the state to 90.
He also confirmed the 19 new confirmed cases recorded in the state on Thursday.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had announced that 19 of the 35 new COVID-19 cases recorded on Thursday were in Lagos. Read more
COVID-19: China supports Lagos with N170m medical equipment, cash (Nation)
The Chinese government in collaboration with Association of Chinese Women in Nigeria and the Overseas Chinese Community in Lagos on Friday presented N170 million worth of medical equipment and cash to the Lagos state government to support the war against coronavirus.
The state commissioner for transportation, Frederick Oladeinde, received the items and cheque of N35, 380, 000.00 from the donors at the warehouse of a Chinese company, AfricaMed in Lekki.
The items donated include thermometer, hand sanitizers, masks, coverall clothing, gloves, ventilators and a cheque of N35, 380, 000. 00. Read more
Nine crashes recorded in Lagos, Ogun despite lockdown – FRSC (Punch)
The Federal Road Safety Corps, says it has recorded nine road accidents with one fatality in Ogun and Lagos States during the lockdown occasioned by COVID-19.
FRSC Zonal Commanding Officer in charge of the two states, Samuel Obayemi, made this known on Friday.
Obayemi said the crashes occurred within the first 14 days of the lockdown in Lagos and the first seven days in Ogun.
He said, “In a total of 11, 784 vehicles stopped since the start of the lockdown, only nine of 78 vehicles nabbed for overloading were booked and impounded. Read more
Man, 29, arrested for allegedly defiling Down Syndrome minor (DailyTrust)
The Police in Oyo State have arrested one Timothy Abijo, 29, for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old minor with Down Syndrome. The incident was said to have occurred on April 16 at No. 32, Adetola Str., Felele in Ibadan. The suspect, who was on visitation to his cousin, residing in the same house as the victim was alleged to have lured the girl with N 500. The mother of the victim, said that the suspect lured the girl into his host’s room and gagged her before raping her. Read more
Military donates 2 laboratories to support COVID-19 (Guardian)
The Nigerian Military says it has provided two laboratories to carry out test for COVID-19 cases.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, said this on Friday at a news conference in Abuja while giving updates on preparedness of the armed forces to combat COVID-19.
Enenche said that the two laboratories were the Defence Reference Laboratory in Abuja and Nigerian Air Force Reference Laboratory in Lagos.
He said that the laboratories were to support Federal Government efforts toward tackling the Coronavirus pandemic.
” The armed forces, hereby, encourages the general public to abide by the guidelines provided by the government on preventive measures against contracting the virus. Read more
Buratai’s camp under Boko Haram fire (Nation)
Boko Haram insurgents on Thursday attacked the Army Special Super Camp at Ngamdu, a border town between Borno and Yobe states where the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, has relocated, to launch a final onslaught on the terrorists.
The attack occurred barely 72 hours after Gen. Buratai sent a message to defeat the insurgents within a very short time.
The Nation reports that the COAS at the 2020 Special Easter Celebration with the troops at the camp, promised to stay with them until the insurgents are “substantially degraded”. Read more
Five COVID-19 patients discharged in Edo (Punch)
Edo State has discharged five coronavirus patients undergoing treatment in its isolation centre on Friday.
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, announced this on his Twitter handle on Friday.
He tweeted, “I am pleased to announce that 5 of the confirmed cases in #Edo State have now tested negative twice for #COVID-19. They have thus been discharged.
“This bolsters our resolve to defeat this common enemy, as we roll out more measures to check the spread of #COVID-19.” Read more
Kano lockdown: Roads, markets, central mosques deserted (Guardian)
Kano State residents are currently observing full compliance with government stay at home order to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Our correspondent observed that heavily armed security operatives were on major roads, streets and places of worship to enforce the lockdown order.
The usual busy roads were deserted of vehicular movement just as markets and central mosques remain empty.
A visit to Murtala Mohammed way, Zoo road, Zaria roads, as well as the popular Yankura, Sabon Gari and Kari markets were quiet in activities.
However, those on essential services like medical and health workers, security personal, men of the fire services and media were seen on core duty. Read more
Lassa fever kills 19 as Bauchi discharges three COVID-19 patients (Guardian)
Bauchi State Government has announced that 19 people have lost their lives to Lassa fever in the state.
The Deputy Governor and Chairman of the state’s Taskforce on Disease Control, Baba Tela, disclosed this to newsmen yesterday.
He explained that out of the six cases in the state, four patients, including the governor, had been discharged.
“We now have only two patients,” he added.
Tela said that one of the active cases tested negative. “If his second test comes out negative, we will discharge him.”
On Lassa fever, he put the number of casualties at 19, adding that 48 others were under medication and recovering “very well”. Read more
Abia declares suspected COVID-19 patient wanted, extends lockdown (Nation)
Abia State has declared a COVID-19 patient, Vincent Prosper wanted.
A statement by the Information Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi-Kalu claimed that Prosper reportedly sneaked into Abia State from a-yet-to-be mentioned neighbouring state.
According to the statement, the suspected COVID-19 patient was last seen around 153, Azikiwe Road, Aba.
It urged anyone with useful information on Prosper’s whereabouts and those who have had contacts with him to call 0700 2242 362 or contact Commissioner for Health, Dr. Osuji immediately. Read more
Motorcyclist who lost leg in horror crash becomes model to inspire other amputees (Metro)
A motorcyclist whose leg was amputated after a horrific crash has become a model to show off her stump with pride. Tahlor Self, 26, has said she wants to inspire other amputees to embrace their appearance by revealing all in front of the camera. Tahlor’s life was changed forever when in March 2016 she was involved in a head-on collision with a car whilst riding a motorcycle in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her left leg was severely injured in the crash and despite the best efforts of doctors to save it, they ultimately ended up amputating it from just above Tahlor’s knee.
And as a way of helping her come to terms with her disability, Tahlor, from Lawton, Oaklahoma, took the brave decision to appear in a fashion photo shoot as an amputee advocate. Tahlor does have a prosthetic leg which she uses everyday, but she said she wanted to show her true self to others. Read more
Saudi Arabia executes dance troupe attacker (BBC)
A man who stabbed at least three Spanish dancers in Saudi Arabia during a live performance has been executed.
The assault on the theatre group took place during a festival in the capital Riyadh in November.
State media linked the attacker, named as Imad al-Mansouri, 33, from Yemen, to extremist group Al-Qaeda.
It took place as Saudi Arabia eased long-standing restrictions on entertainment imposed by conservative religious figures. Read more
Mum, 31, in court over death of son, 9, killed in dog attack (Metro)
Two women have appeared in court charged in relation to a dog attack that killed a nine-year-old boy. Frankie Macritchie, from Plymouth, died while on holiday at Tencreek Holiday Park in Looe, Cornwall, in April last year. Police were called to a caravan at the site just before 5am after Frankie was attacked by a dog, and the schoolboy was pronounced dead at the scene. Frankie’s mother, Tawney Willis, 31, appeared by telephone at Truro Crown Court on Friday along with Sadie Totterdell, 29. Read more
Coronavirus: Africa could be next epicentre, WHO warns (BBC)
Africa could become the next epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
UN officials also say it is likely the pandemic will kill at least 300,000 people in Africa and push nearly 30 million into poverty.
The past week in Africa has seen a sharp rise in coronavirus cases.
There have been almost 1,000 deaths and almost 19,000 infections across Africa, so far much lower rates than in parts of Europe and the US. Read more
Japan offers $930 virus stimulus payment to all residents (Guardian)
Japan will offer a cash payment of 100,000 yen ($930) to every resident, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Friday, as measures to contain the coronavirus decimate the world’s third-top economy.
“We are moving quickly to deliver cash to all people,” Abe said in a televised news conference to explain his decision to expand a state of emergency nationwide.
An initial plan to provide three times that amount to households, which have seen incomes slashed because of the coronavirus, was ditched and Abe apologised for the confusion.
Japan has seen relatively few cases and deaths compared to hotspots in Europe and the United States but a recent spike in Tokyo — which logged a daily record 201 new cases on Friday — has sparked concern. Read more
Google blocking 18m coronavirus scam emails every day (BBC)
Scammers are sending 18 million hoax emails about Covid-19 to Gmail users every day, according to Google.
The tech giant says the pandemic has led to an explosion of phishing attacks in which criminals try to trick users into revealing personal data.
The company said it was blocking more than 100 million phishing emails a day. Over the past week, almost a fifth were scam emails related to coronavirus. Read more
Close ally of Ivory Coast leader contracts coronavrius (Guardian)
Patrick Achi, one of Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara’s closest allies, on Thursday announced he has contracted the novel coronavirus.
“I have tested positive for COVID19 and am, therefore, confined to my home, although I have no symptoms,” Achi, the secretary-general to the Ivory Coast presidency, said on Twitter and Facebook.
Sixty-four-year-old Achi is close to President Ouattara who he meets with often. Read more
AFN Congress postponed (Nation)
Following the global outbreak of Covid-19, the ordinary congress of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) scheduled for Friday April 24, 2020 has been postponed indefinitely.
In a media statement signed by its Secretary General, Adeniyi Adisa Beyioku, the AFN regrets the postponement of the congress convened to among other things discus and approve the training plans for the postponed 2020 Olympics.
The Congress was also convened to ratify certain decisions taken by the board of the federation at its last meeting in Abuja in January as well as a review of its constitution. Read more
Premier League clubs committed to finishing season, but no deadline set (DailyTrust)
Premier League clubs remain committed to finishing the top-flight season, but did not set a June 30 deadline to complete the fixture list at their latest meeting on Friday. With the Premier League postponed since March 13 due to the coronavirus, it had been suggested a firm closing date for the season needed to be imposed. But the 20 clubs did not discuss wrapping up the remaining 92 Premier League fixtures by June 30 when they met on a conference call with league chiefs. With fears that failure to finish the season could cost the Premier League more than £1 billion ($1.2 billion), clubs looked at various models for a potential return to action. Read more
Norman Hunter: Leeds United legend dies after contracting coronavirus (BBC)
Norman Hunter won the league title with Leeds in 1969 and 1974
Leeds United great Norman Hunter has died in hospital aged 76 after contracting coronavirus.
The tough-tackling centre-back, nicknamed ‘Bites Yer Legs’, was a key player in Leeds’ most successful era.
He won two league titles during a 14-year first-team career at Elland Road, and was a non-playing member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad. Read more
Brugge reject €10m Dortmund offer for Dennis (Punch)
Borussia Dortmund’s offer of €10m for Nigeria international, Emmanuel Dennis, has been turned down by Club Brugge, who value the player higher than what the Bundesliga giants are offering.
According to reports in the German media, the bid was rejected by Club Brugge, who value Dennis between €25m and €30m.
Dortmund are in the market for a replacement for England winger Jadon Sancho, who is expected to leave the club this summer. Read more
Fernandes wants Man Utd to sign players ‘hungry for titles’ (DailyTrust)
Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes has said that the Premier League club should look to sign players who share his winning mentality. Fernandes, who joined the 20-times English league champions from Portugal’s Sporting Lisbon in January for an initial fee of 55 million euros ($59.83 million), has thrived with three goals and four assists in nine games across all competitions. “I’m hungry to win everything. I came to Manchester to win… league, Champions League, everything. “We already have a big team, but whoever comes needs to come to win. Just to focus to win, I want people hungry for titles,” said Fernandes. Read more
COVID-19: Powerlifting president advises national lifters to sustain training (DailyTrust)
The President, Nigeria Para-Powerlifting Federation (NPPF) Ruel Ishaku yesterday urged athletes across the country to sustain keeping fit while observing the lockdown following COVID-19 pandemic. Ishaku told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown have denied athletes opportunity of having common training supervised by their coaching coaches in their respective stations. He said that some powerlifters had qualified for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games which had been rescheduled for 2021 but needs to continue training in preparations for the Games. Read more
Rohr confident of victory over COVID-19 (Punch)
Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr, has admitted that the world has a difficult match to play against coronavirus but is confident that with the right tactics, the virus can be defeated.
The Franco-German in a short video rolled out the tactics through which the COVID-19 could be defeated but cautioned that a win against the invincible opponent required that everyone must be active in play by avoiding contact.
He said, “We have a very difficult match to play and this match is against an invincible enemy. Read more