In a bid to allow Nigerians have the benefit of daily update on the 2019 novel coronavirus, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has directed GOTv, DSTV, NTA Startimes, FreeTv Platform and others, to allow local stations on their bouquet run even after subscribers have exhausted their subscription. This is even as the NBC mandated broadcasters in the country to allot 10 per cent of its daily airtime to the public enlightenment of Nigerians on COVID-19. In a statement issued in Abuja and made available to our correspondent, the NBC said the decryption is to last for one month in the first instance, while adding that further directives shall be issued by the commission after detailed assessments of subsequent development. “The National Broadcasting Commission calls on all Pay Subscription Broadcasters (GOTv, DSTV, NTA Startimes, FreeTv Platform, etc) in Nigeria to decrypt all local channels on their bouquet to enable subscribers to their services in Nigeria access, without hindra

News reaching us now is that Davido baby mama and mother of his son Chioma's tests positive for Coronavirus. The artiste himself reveal the news through his official Twitter handle this evening Hey everyone ! I came back recently from America after cancelling tour. My fiancé Chioma also came back from London recently with our baby.  We had no symptoms and still both feel perfectly fine but because of our recent travel history we decided to take ourselves and our all close associates we’ve come in recent contact with for the COVID-19 test  on the 25th of March.  Unfortunately, my fiancé’s results came back positive while all 31 others tested have come back negative including our baby. We are however doing perfectly fine  and she is even still yet to show any symptoms whatsoever. She is now being quarantined and  I have also gone into full self isolation for the minimum 14 days . I want to use this opportunity to thank you all for your endless love and prayers in advance and t

The Enugu State Government has ordered the closure of  all land borders and inter-state transportation in the state till further notice, with effect from 6pm on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, except those on medical emergency services. In a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya,  the state government also ordered the closure of all markets in the state , “no matter the size, till further notice, with effect from 6pm on Tuesday, the 31st day of March, 2020”. The statement added that  other categories exempted from the closure include “those dealing on food items, water, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and other basic items of daily domestic need  who must comply with the standard hygiene protocol as stipulated by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), including frequent hand washing with soap, use of sanitizer and social distancing.” According to Prof. Ortuanya,  “all Local Government Chairmen are hereby directed to ensure strict compl

"Enugu State Ministry of Health had confirmed that  two patients who presented on their own tested POSITIVE for Corona Virus( COVID-19) It is important to inform the public that the patients voluntarily contacted the Enugu State Ministry of Health on arrival from United Kingdom (UK) and requested for the COVID-19 test which came out positive.  So far the Patient has remained in isolation and the Enugu State Multi sectoral Rapid Response Team has commenced contact tracing .The Enugu State Government express her gratitude to these patients who reported to the Enugu State Ministry of Health following the announcement that all returnees from overseas in the last 14 days should report for evaluation.  We still wish to encourage all those that returned recently from overseas to contact the Enugu State Public Health Department through these dedicated lines- 08182555550 or 09022333833 We urge the general public not to panic as Health Personnel are already positioned to respond to the p

The Federal Government has announced plans to ban inter-state travel and possibly close down motor parks as part of measures to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus. Minister for Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said this at an ongoing press briefing in Abuja, on Thursday. “It is now time for enforcement,”  he said.

The Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, has urged all Abians and visitors to the State to strictly follow the guidelines established by the State Government in the fight against the rampaging Coronavirus, Igbere TV reports.  The Speaker made this known, on Wednesday, in a statement made available to Igbere TV in Umuahia the Abia State capital. He emphasised that the Coronavirus scourge though a global reality which requires the cooperation of everyone to prevent, manage and control it as the case may be, is not a death sentence. "The Coronavirus is a new reality worldwide but it can be defeated as long as citizens comply with directives from government and follow all the guidelines issued with regard to it. At the House of Assembly, we have followed up with the procedures put in place by the State Government and are satisfied with them. It is now for all Abians to ensure they play by the rules. "No one should panic but everyone should do w

The Rivers Government on Wednesday announced the closure of all air, sea and land routes into the state in a move to check the spread of coronavirus to the State. A statement on Wednesday by Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, the Special Assistant (Electronic Media) to Gov. Nyesom Wike, stated that “the measure became necessary in view of recent developments. According to the statement the measure will take effect “ from 6am on Thursday March 26, 2020. He also stated that the governor announced the measures in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday He said: “It is with gratitude to God that I announce to you that our State would have been infected with coronavirus yesterday, but for the vigilance of security agents who, acting on a tip-off prevented an infected person from boarding a flight from Abuja to Port Harcourt. “The infected person beat all security measures that were put in place at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and was to sneak into Port Harcourt before sec

1'   Wife sets husband’s house ablaze for marrying 2nd wife The Osun State Police Command has arrested a wife for setting her husband’s house ablaze after he married a 2nd wife. According to reports, all the household properties inside the house were completely burnt by the raging fire. In a statement by the Osun State Assistant Police Public Relations Officer, Mustafa Katayeyanjue, police personnel from the command swung into action, after the husband reported that his second wife, Salamat Kehinde, burnt his six-bedroom house and properties worth three million naira. Katayeyanjue said: “One Lamidi Kehinde of Offadio in Ori Eru, Iwo Local Government Area of Osun State, reported that his second wife, Salamat Kehinde, burnt his six-bedroom house with all the property therein valued at about N3m. “No life was lost. The suspect has been arrested and is being interrogated at the SCIID. The case is under investigation.”

Presidential Intensive Care Unit Activated As Buhari Self-isolates After Abba Kyari Tests Positive For Coronavirus. A top government source told us that persistent coughing by the President raised fears in Aso Villa on Tuesday despite him earlier testing negative to Coronavirus. Since it emerged that Abba Kyari, Buhari's Chief of Staff, tested positive for the deadly virus, all had not been the same in the Presidential Villa. The Presidential Intensive Care Unit inside Aso Villa has been activated and placed on standby after President Muhammadu Buhari went into self-isolation on Tuesday evening. A top government source told us that persistent coughing by the President raised fears in Aso Villa on Tuesday despite him earlier testing negative to Coronavirus. Since it emerged that Abba Kyari, Buhari's Chief of Staff, tested positive for the deadly virus, all had not been the same in the Presidential Villa. Already activities had been suspended at the place while al

Following his contact with the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari during last week's National Economic Council meeting in Abuja, grapevine sources in Government House Abakiliki has revealed that Governor Dave Umahi is currently in self-isolation over possible infection with coronavirus. Speculation became rife following the result of the President's Chief of Staff, Chief Abba Kyari which tested positive. Efforts to speak with the governor proved abortive as his line was not reachable. As at the time of filling this report, text message sent to his line was yet to deliver. Coronavirus has killed a Nigerian by name Suleiman Achimugu the ex PPMC boss who happen to be its first casualty in the country.

Delta Governor, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, has congratulated former Governor of Imo, Rt Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, as he clocks 55 years on March 24. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, in Asaba on Tuesday, the governor extolled the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives for his "Re-build Imo Agenda" while he served as governor of the state. He described Ihedioha as a worthy son of Imo and a politician with great finesse. Okowa remarked that in spite of the temporary set back to Ihedioha, the former governor remained an uncommon leader, well loved by his people and urged him not to relent in his quest to provide good governance to the people of Imo. "It is heart warming to note that you have through hard work, discipline and uncommon vision won the admiration and respect of the Imo people and the nation. "Your focus and commitment to the Re-build Imo Agenda is legendary and worthy of commendation," he said, adding

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has tested negative for the COVID-19 virus (Coronavirus), following a test for the disease that was carried out yesterday on the president by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The NCDC has informed the president on the outcome his negative result this morning in Abuja. According to presidential sources, the test for the president was necessitated after his Chief of Staff, Mr. Abba Kyari tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. Kyari had travelled to Germany on Saturday, March 7th to meet with officials of Siemens in Munich on the Nigerian electricity expansion programme. He returned exactly one week later on Saturday, March 14th, but did not show any symptoms. He was said to have been at a meeting on containing the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria all through Sunday, where he reportedly started to cough. Subsequently, he voluntarily submitted himself for testing and was informed of his status yesterday. Kyari has however gone into absolu

Afro-jazz star Manu Dibango dies of coronavirus Manu Dibango won a Grammy Award for his song Soul Makossa. Famous Cameroonian saxophonist Emmanuel N'Djoke Dibango, popularly known as Manu Dibango, has died of coronavirus. He died on Tuesday morning at a hospital outside the French capital, Paris. The 86-year-old jazz musician had last week announced on his Facebook page that he had contracted the coronavirus. He is best known for the 1972 hit Soul Makossa.

Former Managing Director of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Suleiman Achimugu, has died of Coronavirus. Achimugu, who returned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom two weeks ago, started showing symptoms of the virus last Tuesday, according to findings by SaharaReporters. He eventually died around 2:00am on Monday after coughing severely for most part of Sunday. A family source told SaharaReporters that officials of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control were informed of his situation and even took his blood sample for testing but they never got back to his family until he died overnight. His blood sample tested positive for the virus. “NCDC officials came to the house and took his blood specimen. Even though it tested positive, they never got back to us until he died at a hospital in Gwagwalada. “We are all currently under quarantine in the house,” a family source told SaharaReporters on Monday. It was

The 33 foreign airlines operating flights into Nigeria may suffer a major blow as the Federal Government says it will in a few days shut the international wings of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt Musa Nuhu, in a statement on Thursday announced the closure of the three other international airports in the country, namely Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, and the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, thereby restricting international flights to only Lagos and Abuja airports. The statement noted that the closure would be till further notice effective 12am today. It noted that this was part of precautionary measures taken by the government to curb the spread of coronavirus. On Friday, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, told journalists in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory,

Campaign materials of President Muhamadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari have surfaced online. The campaign shirts and face-caps already generating mixed reactions on social media, have the inscription “Sustainability 2023′ ‘Towards sustaining the good policies and ideologies of President Muhamadu Buhari,” boldly written on them. There have been rumours flying about suggesting that the Chief of Staff was warming up to take over from his boss in 2023. Sources said his ambition is the cause of some major and obvious crisis at the Presidency as he (Kyari) allegedly sees some close allies to the President as a threat to his aspiration. Recall that the 2023 campaign vehicle of dethroned Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi, had emerged online earlier this week. The vehicle had the inscription “All Nigerian Youth Project 2023, Lets Save Nigeria.”

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu took to social media to publish photos of the Italian man that brought coronavirus to Nigeria after he was discharged from the Isolation centre of Yaba Mainland Hospital, where he was quarantined and treated. In a series of tweets, Governor Sanwo-olu commended the exceptional care and support given to the patient by staff of the infectious Disease Hospital,Yaba and all members of the EOC. As the COVID-19 Incident Commander for Lagos, I am glad to inform you that the index case; the Italian gentleman is now negative. Through a combined effort of Lagos, Ogun State and Fed Health Authorities, we were able to limit the transmission of the virus to a single contact. This involved aggressive contact tracing and containment strategies. However we now have several new imported cases and we hope we can apply the same contact tracing strategy along with social distancing to slow down the outbreak which may be brewing from these new cases.

He is no less a child of providence. Attaining 56 years of age on March 20, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State is certainly the man of the moment for so many obvious reasons. With his unique disposition to life, the governor has come a long way navigating with peacefulness, humility, caring, compassion, vision, hard-work and the fear of his beloved God. He has carved a niche for himself as an outstanding leader whose approach to handling issues remains unbeatable and enduring. The governor’s birthday is the first after his inauguration for a second term in office following his overwhelming reelection by the people of Enugu State. He won with an unprecedented 95.54 percent of the votes cast, the highest in the history of the country and this is symbolic and yet another opportunity to appreciate God, through acts of charity, for his mercy and kindness. To this great man of faith and goodwill, compassionate in uplifting the downtrodden and resolute in entrenching peace and good g

A cleric, Pastor Jeremiah Godman Iziduh, of House of David Full Gospel Church, located at No. 13 Jemede Avenue off Giwa Amu, GRA Benin City, Edo State, is now in Police net for holding a widow and her five daughters, impregnating two of them while claiming that they were sowed as seeds to his Church by their late father. We gathered that the 44-year old Pastor Iziduh forcefully took the widow, Mrs Olulu Akika, as his wife and started sleeping with her. But when he realised that the widow will not be able to bear a child, he started sleeping with her daughters and impregnated two of them remaining three others. He also said to have collected every documents and property left behind by their late father and claimed that he also sowed them to his Church as seed. Pastor Iziduh is currently in Police detention undergoing interrogations for the alleged criminal acts and immoral activities perpetrated on late Henry Akika’s family. This followed a petition written to the Commissioner of