Yobe state government has faulted news report of the mysterious death of no fewer than 100 persons due to ailments related to the Covid-19 infectious disease.
Governor Mai Mala Buni in a statement made available to The Guardian in Abuja declared that no such case was recorded.
Buni who spoke through the Director-General Press and Media Affairs to Yobe state governor, Mamman Mohammed recalled that Yobe state was the first state in Nigeria to voluntarily submit a suspected case of COVID-19 for the test, which was tested negative.
The Governor, however, admitted that Yobe state recorded its first case just last week 30th April 2020
According to him: “Our attention has been drawn to an online report alleging COVID-19 related deaths in Yobe state. The report also claimed that His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni was in Abuja while his people were dying.
“We had expected the publishers to cross-check their facts and reflect our position to balance the story. For the records, Yobe state was the very first state in Nigeria to voluntarily submit a suspected case of COVID-19 for the test. Thank God, it was negative.
“The state had in spite of non-existing case, constituted a COVID-19 committee, established three isolation centers equipped with ventilators and all necessary equipment. Yobe recorded its first case just last week 30th April 2020 and to date, there is no officially declared COVID-19 related death.
“Secondly, His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni had not travelled out of the state for six weeks until when President Buhari invited him to Abuja to discuss security matters where he spent just three days and had since been back. Therefore, he was not outside the state nor coordinating the affairs of the state from Abuja as claimed.
“This administration maintains an open-door policy, we, therefore, call on the media to always contact the state government to clarify every issue before going to the press.”
