Yahaya Bello lifts lockdown in Kabba-Bunu LG, insists Kogi is COVID-19 free

The Kogi state government has lifted the lockdown imposed on Kabba-Bunu local government area of the state over suspected cases of COVID-19.

Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, announced this on Friday at the Government House in Lokoja, the state capital.

He said lifting the lockdown became necessary after samples taken from the LGA returned negative.

The governor, however, insisted that the state remains COVID-19-free in spite of the three cases confirmed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

“Our mission in Kabba/Bunu has been accomplished. We have done contact tracing and tested members of the family of the disputed case. They all tested negative. There is no need to continue to lockdown the LGA. I therefore lift the lockdown with immediate effect,” the governor said.

He also urged residents of the state to endeavour to adhere to the guidelines on containing containing the spread of the virus.

The state confirmed its first two cases on May 27, 2020, but the commissioner for health insisted that the state is COVID-19 free.

In a statement after the NCDC confirmed the index cases, Saka Haruna Audu, Kogi health commissioner, said samples tested in the state all came back negative.

“Kogi State till this very moment is COVID-19 free. We have developed full testing capacity and have conducted hundreds of tests so far which have come back negative,” Audu said.

“We have also continued to insist that we will not be a party to any fictitious COVID-19 claims which is why we do not recognise any COVID-19 test conducted by any Kogite outside the boundaries of the State except those initiated by us.”

TheCable later reported that the two index cases were identified as Ahmad Ejibunu, chief imam of Kabba, and one of his aides.

On Monday, the governor declared a total lockdown on Kabba-Bunu LGA as part of measures to limit the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state is now three as NCDC confirmed another case for Kogi on June 3, 2020.