The Kogi state government Monday stated that the Chief Imam of Kabba-Bunu local government area, Sheikh Abubakar Ahmad, did not test positive to COVID-19 as reported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Speaking at a press conference in Lokoja, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, said the cleric who was discharged from the National Hospital, Abuja on Saturday revealed that he did not test positive for COVID-19 and did not receive any result of such a diagnosis from the doctors that attended to him in the hospital.
The commissioner said: “The respected Chief Imam of Kabba, Sheikh Abubakar Ahmad, who is in his early 60s along with one of his sons were the purported index cases from Kogi state declared on May 27, 2020 by NCDC. They were whisked to Abuja from Lokoja on the said day and declared COVID-19 positive a few hours later.
“After nine days in their custody, the NCDC discharged the Chief Imam on Saturday, June 6, 2020 and upon his return home, he was extensively debriefed by us with a view to ensuring that any lingering public health implications of his case are identified and resolved.
“We were however shocked to discover that his experiences in the hands of the NCDC are far from everything that Nigerians have been told constitute best practices in a COVID-19 situation, especially its pathogenesis and management.
“The Chief Imam, an upright and outstanding man who is only interested in the truth, confirmed what we have known all along – that he did not test positive for COVID-19 and he received no result of such a diagnosis, neither did his doctors at the National Hospital, Abuja where he was confined advise him of it.
“The cleric maintains that he suffered from nothing beyond complications from an attack by bees, medical conditions which pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic and stress from travels associated with his work. Till he was released Saturday, he was held in conditions which allowed him to interact with visitors.”
Fanwo lamented that the NCDC, besides the two controversial COVID-19 index cases ‘allocated to Kogi state’, the body has now gone ahead to build on that false foundation by declaring another one more case for the state last week and this time around, it was a woman.
“The alleged third case of COVID-19 credited to Kogi state by the NCDC is shaping up to be another exercise in secrecy and unverifiable processes by the NCDC.
“Nearly one week after she was sneaked onto the NCDC’s list, the Kogi state government is yet to be armed with the actionable information she needs to take preemptive actions in line with the COVID-19 guidelines.
“We suspect that the NCDC’s lackadaisical attitude may not be unconnected with the knowledge that no infection has been found. Just like in the case of the Chief Imam and his family, let it be known that we are looking out for our citizens and will demand full reckoning should any harm come to her because the Kogi state government will not toy with the life of its citizens,” Fanwo said.
Sheikh Ahmad not COVID-19 positive – Kogi govt
