Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello of Kogi State governor on Monday ordered two weeks total lockdown starting from 12 midnight on Tuesday in Kabba/Bunu local government council over an alleged cases of Coronavirus.
Governor Bello also directed that the management of the Federal Medical Center Lokoja should isolate doctors and any health officials that participated in moving the man and his son to Abuja.
This is coming following an allegation that the Kabba Chief Imam, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Ejibunu and one of his sons were taken to Abuja by NCDC for medical test after it was alleged that both of them were surffering from Coronavirus.
Addressing newsmen on Monday at the government house in Lokoja, governor Yahaya Bello pointed out that they have to lockdown the local government so that covid-19 committee can conduct samples of the people.
Speaking further Bello noted that In the heat of this stand off, the state woke up one morning to hear that NCDC has recorded two cases of Covid-19 for Kogi State, hence they set out to investigate the claim and here are our findings.
“NCDC claims a 62 year old man and his son from Kabba LGA of Kogi State tested positive to Covid-19. According to the son, his father, who is a Hypertensive/Diabetic had attended a burial ceremony where he was stung by bees. He then developed facial problems from the sting and was taken to the Hospital. The facial swellings subsided but the body weakness persisted where eventually the managing Doctor discovered he had High Blood Sugar, which the Doctor continued to manage.
“The Doctor confirmed that there was no time the patient presented with fever, cough or difficulty in breathing. The only complaint was that of general body weakness.
“The Doctor had no reason to refer the patient to FMC Lokoja except on the insistence of the patient because they felt he was not getting better.
“On reaching FMC on the 24th of May 2020, FMC claimed the patient was referred to them on account of 1week history of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing with high suspicion of Covid-19, a claim the referring Doctor has vehemently refuted.
“The ideal thing to do, if there are no hidden agenda, is for the State’s Covid-19 management
team to be invited to pick up the patient to the the State’s holding area for testing and onward management.
“According to Management of FMC Lokoja, the patient declined the intervention of the state case management team and was said to have left for Abuja for further treatment by 6am the following morning. However the letter the Kogi State Epidemiologist eventually received from NCDC informing the State of the fictitious claim showed that the patient was referred to Abuja from FMC using FMC’s ambulance.
“On reaching Abuja, a Covid-19 test was hurriedly conducted and returned positive within 24hours! Ridiculous right?
He stressed that all effort to see the Chief Imam proved abortive as NCDC did not allowed his covid-19 committee team to see him.
Governor Bello pointed out that in Kogi state as at today, the state is Coronavirus free adding that the state will always take adequate measure to prevent the virus from entering the state.
He called on the people of Kabba/Bunu local government council to exercise cooperate with the committee so that adequate test can be carried out during the two weeks total lockdown.
