(Lokoja)
The controversy over the existence or otherwise of COVID-19 in Kogi state continued on Saturday as a middle age man Mr. Realwan Okpanachi claimed to have contracted the novel virus in the state.
Okpanacho took to his Facebook account disclosing that his wife, three year old daughter and himself had contracted Coronavirus during a burial ceremony in a town called Ogugu, Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi state recently.
He said: “My wife, three-year-old daughter and I tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, We have been isolated at Idu Isolation Centre with our treatment underway. “I started having symptoms such as fever, headache and lost of taste and smell from Ogugu, Olamaboro Local Government Council of Kogi State.
“The death of my father in-law forced me to travel to Ogugu recently where all the guidelines put in place by NCDC were not observed. I call on NCDC to move to Ogugu, Olamaboro L.G.A immediately with a view to carrying out comprehensive test in the community and arrest the community transmission going on there.
“The rate of deaths ascribed to brief illness in the community in partitcular and Kogi State in general has assumed alarming proportion. I urge anyone having symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, difficulty in breathing to go for testing without delay.
” We are very strong and in good condition. By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will defeat the virus and be back home in few days time. Thank you.
However in a swift reaction, the Chairman, Kogi Squadron Committee on COVID19, Chief Edward Onoja, dismissed Okpanachi’s claim on the issue.
In a statement he issued on Saturday Onoja, who is also the Deputy Governor of the state, disclosed that extensive findings from the team that contacted the community leaders, health practitioners and natives of the said location highlighted by “the alarmist” showed that Okpanachi had planted a false information intended to cause panic.
Onoja said: “The attention of The Kogi State Squadron Committee on Coronavirus, known as COVID19 has been sought by an alarmist known as Realone Okpanachi who took to his Facebook wall to declare his COVID19 status as positive.
This Okpanachi said “including his wife and child after traveling to Ogugu, Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State for a burial some weeks ago from Abuja, the epicenter of the virus in Northern Nigeria.
“He alleged community transmission of the virus, citing deaths from many brief illnesses.
“Extensive findings from our team who contacted community leaders, health practitioners and natives of the said location highlighted by the alarmist shows that he has planted a false information, intended to cause panic.
“No deaths have been recorded as alleged from symptoms of COVID19.
“We are,however, curious as to how Mr. Rilwan Okpanachi was able to beat the interstate lockdown between Abuja and Kogi State to travel all the way from the epicenter of the virus into Ogugu.
” As a citizen, it is also an act of irresponsibility and violation of the COVID19 guidelines that prohibits interstate travels as Nigeria battles with the virus which Kogi State is yet to record any case from the pandemic so far.
“We assure our citizens that no community transmission is ongoing at Ogugu at the moment, rather does anyone attest to the position of Mr Okpanachi.
“Rather, we are suspicious of his motive for traveling with the virus from Abuja which is the epicenter in North-Central Nigeria to Kogi state which is yet to record any case.
“The general members of the public are advised to go about their normal business activities as Kogi is free from any case of the virus so far.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria on Saturday, recorded 684 New COVID-19 Cases,making a total of 23,298 with 554 Deaths since the virus was first reported in the country on February 27,2020, having broken in Wuhan, China on December 31,2019.
At least, one case is recorded in 19 states of the Federation, with 259 reported in Lagos alone, the highest number of the cases do far as at the time of this report.