Kogi Government Denies Index Cases Reported By NCDC

Kogi State Government has denied report by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that the state now has two new coronavirus cases.

The NCDC announced 389 new COVID-19 cases, out of which two were confirmed in Kogi on Wednesday.

But the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Haruna Audu described the NCDC reports as “fictitious”, insisting that the state is COVID-19 free.

“Kogi State till this very moment is COVID-19 free. We have developed the full testing capacity and have conducted hundreds of tests so far which have returned 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. Any attempt to force us to announce a case of COVID-19 will be vehemently rejected.

“We continue to enjoin our people to take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic into the State and give no listening ears to rumour peddlers and mischief-makers.

“We are more than prepared to secure the life of our people and have no interest in playing politics with their health concerns.”