Gov Bello lifts lockdown on Kogi LG, insists state is free from COVID-19

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, again on Friday, insisted that the state was free from the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, just as he lifted the ‘absolute lockdown’ he had earlier imposed on Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of the state.

Bello, whose administration had been having a running battle with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) over the COVID-19 status of the state, announced the lifting of the lockdown on Friday.

It would be recalled that the NCDC had last week said that the Chief Imam of Kabba, Sheikh Abubukar and his son tested positive to the dreaded virus, a development that generated serious controversy between it and the state government.

The governor however on Monday, announced an ‘absolute lockdown’ for two weeks in the area to enable government curtail the spread of virus and carry out testing.

Read also: Again, Kogi govt faults NCDC report on COVID-19, says ‘we’re not aware of any new case’

While addressing newsmen on Friday, the governor said the medical team which quickly moved into action had carried out comprehensive tests in the town including the family members of the victims and found out there was nothing.

According to him, the samples collected came out negative, stressing that there was therefore no need to continue to place hardship on the people through lockdown since the disease did not exist in the place.

Governor Bello also berated the NCDC for causing serious stirs in the state over its purported index case, urging the organisation to be more professional in the discharge of its work and eschew politics.

The governor, therefore, called on the people to immediately come out of the lockdown and engage in their lawful businesses.

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