Chidi Samuel| Nigeria on Thursday reported 595 new coronavirus cases to bring the country’s toll 34, 854.
According to the data released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control via its verified Twetter handle, the new cases were recorded in 23 states and the FCT with agos recording the highest number of 156 new infections, followed by Ondo 95, Rivers 53, Abia 43, Oyo 38, Enugu 29, Edo 24 FCT 23, Kaduna 20 and Akwa Ibom 17.
Other states with new infections include, Anambra-17, Osun-17, Ogun-14, Kano-13,
Imo-11, Delta-6, Ekiti-5, Gombe 4, Plateau-4, Cross River-2, Adamawa, Bauchi and Jigawa recorded 1 case each.
The health agency further stated that Nigeria currently has 34, 845 confirmed cased of COVID-19 with 769 deaths and 14,292 discharges.
The tweet read, 595 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria;
Lagos-156
Ondo-95
Rivers-53
Abia-43
Oyo-38
Enugu-29
Edo-24
FCT-23
Kaduna-20
Akwa Ibom-17
Anambra-17
Osun-17
Ogun-14
Kano-13
Imo-11
Delta-6
Ekiti-5
Gombe-4
Plateau-4
Cross River-2
Adamawa-1
Bauchi-1
Jigawa-1
Yobe-1
-FG threatens to jail VIPs, others flouting airports protocols
Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Thursday said that it is investigating the flouting of COVID-19 protocol put in place at three domestic airports by VIPs, warning that if found guilty, they will either go to jail of two months and above, pay a fine or get both sanctions combined.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, gave the warning in Abuja at the 51st joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, reportedly flouted COVID-19 protocol put in place at the domestic wing of the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State.
Also, a former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, was alleged to have assaulted an official of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on Saturday.
Yari, however denied the allegation, saying he followed all the COVID-19 preventive protocols set by FAAN.
Sirika said if investigations revealed that the VIPs did not flout they protocol as alleged by FAAN, apology will be tenderer publicly to them.
While saying that all airports in Nigeria open for domestic operations from 15th remains so, he said that government is however at liberty to open and close the airports depending upon so many other operation reasons.
The minister said that the ministry and agencies have received lots of inquiry regarding some alleged unruly passengers and that one of the agencies, FAAN in particular had tweeted and because of that he receive lots of questions. He said,
“So FAAN has escalated what has transpired, these alleged unruly passengers included the former Governor of Zamfara state. Abdulaziz Yari, whom I spoke to yesterday (Wednesday) at length; the current governor of Adamawa Ahmadu Fintiri.
“Abdulaziz Yari was on Saturday in Kano. And that of Fintiri is in Port Harcourt and Chief Nduka Obaigbena also alleged here in Abuja.
“Now those are being investigated and if it is found that it was true we will do the needful and if it is found untrue, we would definitely apologize to this individuals.”
According to him, going through the Nigeria civil aviation regulations, there is a definition of unruly passenger.
He said, “It goes to say in part 17, 97, 1: that any passenger who becomes unruly at the airport terminal building or on-board a particular aircraft commits an offence. So first is an offense.
“An unruly passenger, according to table two 9, (51) an unruly passenger behaviour requires the punishment of criminal referral for imprisonment for not less than two months so you can get ten years,” he said.
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