Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Saturday 4th April 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 04/04/20
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BREAKING: Nigerian Army Arrests Personnel In Viral Video Threatening To Rape, Infect Women With HIV In Warri After SaharaReporters’ Story
The Nigerian Army has arrested two of its soldiers, who threatened to rape and infect women in Warri, Delta State, with HIV in retaliation for the alleged killing of their colleague.
The slain soldier was alleged to have been killed by a mob after he shot dead a man named Joseph Pessu in Warri on Thursday.
Pessu’s killing led to protest by angry residents of Ugbuwangue, a suburb of Warri, who blocked major roads and burnt tyres to express their pain.
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In the 26-second long video, the two arrested soldiers sweared at the people of Warri and promised them a tormenting experience for daring to take the life of their colleague.
Speaking in disjointed Pidgin, one of the soldiers said, “Warri people, una don buy job o. Una kill soldier ba? Your mothers, I will make sure I f..k your mothers skin to skin without condom.
“I will make sure she carry HIV, your daughters will carry HIV, your wives will carry HIV.
“You get mind to kill soldier ba? Dan ubanku.” VIDEO: Nigerian Soldiers Threaten To Rape Women In Warri, Infect Them With HIV In Retaliation For Killing Colleague @HQNigerianArmy #CoronavirusLockdown #LockDownNigeria #COVID19 #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/7gsozO3lXb— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) April 3, 2020
But reacting to the issue in a statement on Friday, the Nigerian Army said the men were arrested at 9 Brigade, Ikeja Military Cantonment, Lagos, adding that further investigations were ongoing.
The statement reads, “Soldiers in a viral video using uncouth and uncivilised language purportedly threatening to molest women in Warri, Delta State, were arrested at 9 Brigade, Ikeja Military Cantonment, Lagos State, today 3 April, 2020 and further investigation is ongoing.
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Panic In Warri As Nigerian Army Personnel Threaten To Rape, Infect Women With HIV After Death Of Colleague
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“The general public should be assured that the investigations will be swift and fair in accordance with applicable military laws.
“The outcome of the investigations will determine the most appropriate disciplinary measures that can be taken in the circumstances.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to reiterate that it would not tolerate any form of irresponsibility and indiscipline on the part of any of its personnel.”
The Nigerian Army position rubbishes an earlier denial by the Delta State Government, who described the video first published by SaharaReporters as “fake”.
Commissioner for Information in the state, Charles Aniagwu, had said that the video was concocted and created by disgruntled elements bent on pitching the people against the state government.But with the latest development, it is clear facts prevailed over sentiment.
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UPDATE: First Coronavirus Case In Ondo Is Military Officer Who Returned From India
Following the announcement of the first Coronavirus case in Ondo State, palpable fear has continued to grip residents of the city.
SaharaReporters gathered that the first confirmed case is a military officer, who recently returned to Nigeria from India.
A source told our correspondent that the state received the result of the test after some samples were sent to a laboratory in Osun State.
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BREAKING: Ondo Confirms First Case Of Coronavirus
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“We suspected two cases on Wednesday. One from Ile Oluji in Okeigbo while the second one, a military officer at the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army Barracks in Akure.
“Immediately, we sent the two samples for test in Ede, Osun State, and got the result of the second person today which tested positive,” he said.
Confirming the case in a post on Twitter, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu pleaded for calm in the state, adding that the man had been moved to an isolation centre.
He said, “Ondo State #COVID?19 index case update: The index case is a military officer who was a returnee from India.
“He has been in isolation since he returned and has been monitored by the medical team of the military and our team throughout this period.
“Upon showing some symptoms, his samples were taken and the diagnosis confirmed by @NCDCgov at their lab in Ede.” Ondo State #COVIDー19 Index Case Update:The index case is a military officer who was a returnee from India. He has been in isolation since he returned and has been monitored by the medical team of the Military and our state team throughout this period.— Arakunrin Akeredolu (@RotimiAkeredolu) April 3, 2020
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BREAKING: Ondo Confirms First Case Of Coronavirus
Ondo State has confirmed its first case of Coronavirus.
This was announced by Donald Ojogo, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, in a statement on Friday.
This is coming hours after the state government said that two suspected carriers of the virus had undergone series of tests and the results were negative.
He however, said that state would continue to be vigilant and abide by health regulations.
This brings to 191 the total confirmed cases in the country while two persons have died of the virus.
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E2%80%99s-unhealthy-healthcare-eye-coronavirus-runcie-cw-chidebe Nigeria’s Unhealthy Healthcare In Eye Of Coronavirus By Runcie C.W. Chidebe
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is here to teach us a lesson; I hope we learn. Nigeria’s healthcare is unhealthy. But instead of fixing it our rulers have been busy flying up and down to benefit from other country’s productive health system. With Coronavirus, reality is upon us. No more running overseas for medical vacation. Our rulers cannot travel to the United Kingdom, United States of America or India anymore for medical care. These countries are also hanging on their last breath, battling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari spent 103 days in London receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed illness, spending taxpayers’ money instead of investing in the country’s healthcare. Thousands of Nigerians died in the same period from different illnesses. More than 3,000 women died of breast cancer, more than 2,000 women died of cervical cancer and more than 1,500 men died of prostate cancer, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures on annual cancer mortality.
I had hoped that on his return to Nigeria, President Buhari would declare a state of emergency in the country’s health sector. Painfully, nothing of such happened. Nigeria’s budget allocation to healthcare has remained less than 5% of the entire budget for the past five years. Simply put, in 2020 the federal government budgeted N2,000 (£4.2) for each Nigerian with a total of N427.3 billion as budget allocation to the health sector while the United Kingdom budgeted £2,159.6 for each citizen with a total health budget of £143.4billion. It is the same dismal story in the states across Nigeria. Healthcare is not a priority. In some states in Nigeria, a hospital is a 20-minute boat ride and an hour-long car ride. Because many poor Nigerians do not own boats, a woman in labour could bleed to death before she reaches the hospital.
On March 22, 2018, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, criticized Nigerian government’s poor funding of healthcare in the country. In his words, “One in three children is chronically malnourished.” This tragedy has huge implications for the economy. According to the World Bank, addressing the stunting crisis in Nigeria would add almost $30 billion to Nigeria’s GDP. It is painful that despite Mr. Gates assertion, nothing has changed. Nigeria has remained one of the countries in the world with the worst healthcare system with over 60 deaths per 1000 live births. Nigeria has one of the worst cancer survival rates in the world, with only 2 to 3 cancer radiotherapy machines working at any time and less than 70 oncologists for a population of over 200 million.
COVID-19 is exposing the insensitivity of our leaders to things that matter most to us. That Nigerians are disobeying the government’s safety advice on COVID-19 is a clear reflection of citizens’ mistrust for their leaders. Many Nigerians trust their religious leaders more than they trust our political leaders. Successive governments have failed the country, and it doesn’t look like thing will change anytime soon.
Nigeria is a country where our rulers make laws today and break the same laws tomorrow. The Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC) followed the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline and strongly encouraged all Nigerians coming from certain countries to self-isolate and monitor themselves, as a strategy to contain or to delay the spread of COVID-19. The president’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, returned from Germany and instead of isolating himself he was jumping from one state to another, attending events and meetings with different people, breaching the government’s own recommendation and placing the lives of other Nigerians at risk!
Now that COVID-19 is in Nigeria we need to face it with all that we have. But can we? The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is now the country’s only perceived hope. Many Nigerians have been calling NCDC hot lines, criticizing NCDC for not testing enough people. But we should face the music and not the dancer. NCDC is crippled and not well equipped to protect Nigerians from the disease.
In 2016, NCDC budgeted N3.7m for its recurrent and N248m for capital allocations. That is a total of N251.7m. Out of this, only N155m was released to the centre. In the same year, 1,166 Nigerians died of Cerebrospinal Meningitis. In 2017, the NCDC had a budget of N1.5b. Only N782m was released. In the same year, more than 120 Nigerians contracted Monkeypox and seven people died from the disease. That same year, the Presidency budgeted N77m for Aso Rock rent, N1b for trips and sitting allowances, and N94m for meals. In 2018, the NCDC had a budget of N1.9b. Only N654m was released. In the same year, N7.2b was proposed for Presidential Air Fleet. N440m was proposed for mandatory upgrade and installation of live TV and internet service in the presidential aircrafts, N375m for new cabin management, N418m for the landing gears. In total, over N1b was budgeted for the presidential aircrafts which is used for medical tourism and frequent trips abroad.
On November 12, 2018, the NCDC establishment bill was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, thanks to the efforts of Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, the then Chair, Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare and Communicable Diseases. On this premise, the NCDC was empowered with a legislation for its work in preventing and preparing for outbreaks of infectious diseases. Interestingly, the NCDC got the worst budget in 2019, the year following the passage of the NCDC Act. The Centre had a budget of N1.4b, but only N224m was released. In the same year, over 472 Nigerians were diagnosed with Lassa fever and over 110 people died from this viral hemorrhagic fever. Clearly, NCDC cannot perform magic. They need help. Nigeria is grossly under-testing for COVID-19, the laboratories are not enough, and NCDC and its affiliate agencies do not have enough manpower and resources.
Months ago, being unwell evoked empathy; today being unwell evokes fear. The fear of COVID-19? No! It is the fear of not having access to the care that you need, the fear of absence of ventilators, the fear of a broken health system. It is the fear of death. Our political leaders have stolen from the sick through corruption. Many Nigerian governors build non-functional hospitals in their states. Usually, after the commissioning of these hospitals, all the CT Scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and other medical machines—some of them fake—are returned to where they were purchased or left to rot.
Hospitals in Nigeria are some of the worst in the world. Our teaching hospitals are now museums where less than 5% of clinical trial and research is going on because of poor laboratory. Medical tourism has therefore become the norm. Dubai hospitals, Saudi Arabian hospitals, etc., are advertising in Abuja and Lagos for Nigerian patients. They are recruiting Nigerian doctors, including consultants. Nigeria is not only facing “brain drain,” we are also facing “patient drain.” Our doctors and nurses work in the worst conditions. Hazard allowance for health workers is about N5,000 while wardrobe allowance for members of the National Assembly runs into millions.
Now is the time for Nigeria to confront its healthcare crisis. The Nigerian government must accept its failure. Our political leaders must brace up to their responsibility and seriously reflect on the problem their greed has brought to Nigeria. This is the time to invest in a result-oriented healthcare system. Health is wealth as the saying goes. A good healthcare system is the foundation of any nation.
If we survive COVID-19, we need to consider a law to restrict all public officials from seeking medical care abroad. It may be perceived as strict, but it will save future generations since we don’t know which pandemic would come next and when.
Let’s give every Nigerian a space to live and a not chance to die.
Runcie C.W. Chidebe is Executive Director, Project PINK BLUE. He is currently a Commonwealth Scholar on Transforming and Leading in Health Care at Birmingham City University, United Kingdom. He tweets @runciecwc
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BREAKING: Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, Suspends Commissioner Who Brutalised, Raped Lady Over Facebook Post
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Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has ordered the suspension of Mr Abdulmumuni Danga, Commissioner for Water Resources in the state, who assaulted and raped a lady over a Facebook post.
Sources revealed to SaharaReporters that the governor has also ordered an accelerated investigation into the case.
SaharaReporters had reported how the commissioner kidnapped, assaulted and raped the lady identified as Elizabeth Oyeniyi before releasing her.
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Kogi Commissioner, Abdulmumuni Danga, Brutalises Lady For Calling Him Out On Facebook
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An online petition has also been launched to demand the prosecution of Danga.
The petition can be signed here: br />
FLASH: Kogi State Governor’s Commissioner, Abdulmumuni Danga, Brutalises, Rapes Lady For Calling Him Out On Facebook, Forced Her To Make Video Recanting Initial PostWatch Video:#JusticeForElizabeth #ProsecuteDanga @Govbello @PoliceNG @NhrcTweets pic.twitter.com/5yhcYsGjTH— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) April 1, 2020
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Hospital Management In Delta Forces NYSC Doctors, Nurses To Work In Coronavirus Isolation Centre
Doctors, nurses, pharmacists partaking in the mandatory National Youth Service Scheme in Asaba, Delta State, have been forced to work without protective gear in an isolation for Coronavirus patients, findings by SaharaReporters indicate.
At the Asaba Specialist Hospital, a list containing names of persons, who never indicated interest to work as volunteers at the isolation centre, has been released by the management.
As a result, those named including NYSC members will be forced to work without proper orientation, protective gear or plans for remuneration.
“Of the about 50 consultants who work in the hospital, only three volunteered because of the conditions of work in the hospital.
“This made the management forcefully include the names of NYSC nurses, doctors and pharmacists,” a source at the hospital told SaharaReporters on Friday.
The incident has raised concerns and apprehension among corps members in Asaba, who expressed fear that they could be infected with the virus.
“We are not happy with this development. We hope the state government and NYSC management can intervene and save us from contracting the virus because there is nothing to protect us,” one of the affected persons told our correspondent.
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Forum Tells Buhari, Governors To Begin Payment Of Stipend To Low-income Earners Over Coronavirus Lockdown
The Third Force Forum has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Governors Forum to begin the payment of between N20,000 to N40,000 to low-income earners and self-employed Nigerians as “COVID-19 Intervention Fund”.
The forum said the payment should be made to persons, who earn below N50,000 monthly.
The group posited that urgent actions must be taken to mitigate the effect of the outbreak of Coronavirus on the people.
The forum is also asking the presidency to convert 50 per cent of the security vote and catering budget of Aso Rock to a “COVID-19 Special Fund”.
The group said, “Commence a program that allows businesses that are unable to remit VAT between the 20th of March 2020 and the 30th of June 2020 to do so by the 31st of March 2021, to enable a stable business climate and adaptation to the demands of the pandemic.
“Establish a special COVID-19 Fund Raising Committee charged with the sole task of collating funds pledged from the organised private sector, well-meaning individuals, international community and other NGO’s. The funds will be used to sponsor other palliative measures like the procurement of food stuff, face masks, and sanitisers to every local government in Nigeria, depending on need.
“A moratorium on electricity tariffs for at least two months or more and facilitation of and an understanding with the telecommunications companies to commit N2000 to N5000 in Recharge and data per month over the next two months to all mobile subscribers in Nigeria as well as an emergency legislation or Executive Order allowing a three-month moratorium on landlord evictions as a result of the stay-at-home order by the government in affected cities.”
The forum called on the National Assembly to temporarily suspend the huge compensation package enjoyed by members comprising Senate House of Representatives by 50 per cent for the remainder of 2020 or the duration of the national shutdown.
It warned that failure to consider the above may set a stage for an eventual class-warfare in Nigeria.
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Interior Minister, Aregbesola, Holds Meeting With Malami Over Prison Decongestion
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has held a meeting with the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on steps to be taken to ensure the decongestion of correctional centres (formerly prisons) in Nigeria.
This is coming three days after inmates at the Kaduna Correctional Centre attempted a jailbreak following the global outbreak of Coronavirus.
The meeting was also attended by the Chief Judge of FCT, Justice I.U Bello.
“Minister of Interior, Ogbeni @raufaregbesola held a midnight meeting on the process and procedure to radically decongest @CorrectionsNg’s custodial centres with AGF and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Chief Judge of FCT, Justice I.U Bello and other government officials,” a tweet by the Ministry of Interior reads. I held a midnight meeting on the process and procedure to radically decongest @CorrectionsNg’s custodial centres with Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Chief Judge of FCT, Justice I.U Bello and other government officials. pic.twitter.com/EsoisGTs38— Rauf Aregbesola (@raufaregbesola) April 3, 2020
The minister has previously held similar meetings to deliberate on how to manage the custodial centres.
Recall that five inmates at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre died of electrocution, which investigation by the Controller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Ja’afaru Ahmed, revealed that the incident was due to overpopulation of the correctional centre.
Civil society organisations are also calling on the government to ensure the decongestion of correctional centres and police cells to contain the spread of the virus.
Currently, the country has 74,127 inmates in 244 centres across the country with 52,226 awaiting trial.
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Women Organisations Call For Protection Of Females Against Gender-based Violence During COVID-19 Lockdown
Some 283 rights and advocacy organisations have called on the government to ensure the protection of women and girls against gender-based violence during the lockdown period due to the outbreak of Coronavirus.
In a statement jointly signed by Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Executive Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre; Saudatu Mahdi, Secretary General, Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative; and Joy Ada Onyesoh, Country Director, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Nigeria on behalf of the organisations, they urged the government to strengthen the gender desks and family support units within police.
The groups stated that while the ‘stay-at-home’ order serves to protect families from the disease, it has the tendency to worsen sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls.
They added that experience from other countries like China shows a corresponding rise in the number of women reporting increased incidences of domestic violence.
The statement said, “It is only a matter of time that existing forms and prevalence will rise beyond the current index of one-in-three Nigerian women and girls experiencing SGBV in private and public spaces.
“We therefore call on Nigeria’s Federal and state governments to ensure respect of women’s human rights and protection from gender-based violence within the context of the lockdown in FCT, Lagos and Ogun states, and other states in total or partial lockdown.
“As the nation locks down, and in a bid to prevent the pandemic, it is important that these support and protection services are available and accessible so that women are shielded from the risks of transferred aggression in their homes.”
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Security Operatives, Youths Clash During Enforcement Of Public Gathering Ban At Adamawa Mosque
Scores of persons are currently feared injured after security operatives and Muslim youth clashed at Juma’at Mosque in Yola, Adamawa State.
The clash, occurred at about 2:00pm on Friday when the security operatives arrived the Damilu Jumma’at Mosque to enforce the ban on public gathering imposed by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri in a bid to curb the spread of Coronavirus in the country, according to a worshipper.
Violence erupted when a combined team of law enforcement operatives stormed the mosque and allegedly arrested the imam and some top officials.
Irate youth at the prayer ground were said to have violently attacked the operatives, pelting stones and metals at them.
An eyewitness, told SaharaReporters that many worshippers and security personnel sustained injuries in the violent clash.
But the police have denied the claim, saying there was neither violence, nor arrest at the mosque.
Spokesperson for the police in Adamawa, Suleiman Nguroje, told our correspondent that there was no injury inflicted on any worshipper.
H said, “We were patrolling round the city to monitor compliance with the lockdown order when we got a distress call that something was happening around Damilu Jumma’at mosque.
“On getting there, we learnt the imam had told the congregation to disperse because there won’t be Jumma’at prayer.
“But some youths started shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’, causing panic and scare.
“However, our men were timely, so we were able to contain the situation before it degenerated into violence.”
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