Niger monarch’s returnee children feared COVID-19 positive, moved to Abuja

John Adams, Minna

Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has gone into self-isolation with immediate effect and has equally directed all his aides to isolate themselves.
This is coming amid fears that four children of a first-class traditional ruler in the state who just returned to the country from school might have tested positive for the coronavirus disease.

Bello’s self-isolation was contained in a statement made available to newsmen by his chief press secretary, Mary Noel Berje in Minna on Wednesday evening.
The governor’s self-isolation according to the statement was a result of his numerous outing including “the Nigerian Governor’s Forum meeting on the 18th of March which was attended by his colleagues, among whom is also the Bauchi State governor.”
Berje said test will later be carried out on the governor to know his status.
“Considering the fact that “I was in Abuja the whole of last week to participate at the APC national meeting with the president, the Nigerian Governors Forum meeting, the National Economic Council meeting and World Bank breakfast meeting … as a way of leading by example, I have placed myself on isolation and waiting to be tested along with members of my family.”
The statement further quoted Governor Bello as acknowledging the directive of the Nigerian Governor Forum for all the governors that attended the meeting to go on self-isolation including their close aides and the people they had contact with.
She, however, called on the public not to panic over the governors’ self isolation and his aides.

Meanwhile, our correspondent gathered that the four children of a first-class traditional ruler who allegedly tested positive were said to have returned to the country last weekend from United Kindom where they were studying.
It was further gathered that they (children) were among the seven “contacts,” the committee on the control of the coronavirus said it was studying.
It was learnt that due to the seriousness of their cases, they have all been moved to Abuja for proper medical attention and further isolation.
It could not be confirmed if the children had contact with their traditional ruler father or their siblings and friends.
The technical committee, however, refused to give the names of the seven people under observation at an isolation centre in Minna.