….As pregnant woman dies in Jigawa Isolation Centre
…Ex-Army General, cleric arraigned in Nasarawa for violation
…Kano markets locked as traders, customers defy social distancing order

By Umar Dangida, David Odama, Abdulmumin Murtala, & Femi Bolaji

Three fleeing coronavirus, COVID-19, patients have been arrested in Adamawa and Taraba states, respectively. While two of the runaway patients arrested in Adamawa State escaped from isolation centre in Gombe State, the other patient arrested in Taraba State escaped from Jalingo isolation centre last week.

This came as a confirmed COVID-19 positive pregnant woman (name withheld) from Zareku ward in Miga Local Government Area, LGA, of Jigawa State died at the isolation centre in Dutse, the state capital.

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, at a briefing, said the duo escaped from Gombe State before the result of their samples arrived from Abuja.

According to him, “We launched a  manhunt that eventually yielded positive results as one was apprehended at Lamurde, through our contact tracing mechanism. The second patient, whose destination was Mubi, was traced by our ICT technology to be around Ngurore,in Yola South; unfortunately, his phone line was no longer going through.”

Similarly, Taraba State government gave the name of the apprehended COVID-19 patient as Talatu Idris

Commissioner for Health and Chairman of the state’s COVID-19 technical committee, Dr Innocent Vakkai, at a briefing in Jalingo, explained that contact tracing had commenced to contain the spread of the virus in the state.

Meanwhile, the deceased pregnant woman was said to have died on Sunday night.

A member of the state taskforce on Covid-19, who confirmed the incident to Newsmen in Dutse, said the woman bled to death as a result of miscarriage she had at the isolation centre.

A family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said family members had received the corpse from the officials of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC and had since buried the deceased, according Islamic rights.

Ex-General, cleric

In the mean time, Nasarawa State Command of the Nigeria Police has arraigned a cleric and a retired Brigadier General  for violating the ban on religious gathering in the state.

Addressing a mobile court yesterday in Lafia, the Prosecuting Counsel, George Idoko explained that Mohammed Adeka, the retired Army General who is also the former adviser to former governor Almakura on security matters and Yahaya Saleh of Mararaba Akunza all in Lafia were arrested for holding Friday congregational prayers.

READ ALSO: Taraba health agency begins sensitisation campaign against COVID-19

The prosecuting counsel said the actions of the two accused contravened the government ban on religious gathering over COVID-19.

The counsel prayed the court to sanction the accused to serve as deterrent to others and protect members of the public from being infected by the virus.

The accused persons who however pleaded not guilty, were granted bail in the sum of N500, 000 and N300, 000 respectively with surety in like sum

Kano markets

Also, all major markets in Kano State were, yesterday, locked up as traders and customers gathered in front of the market gates without facemasks or observance of social distancing.

They were seen on the streets outside the markets at Abubakar Rimi Market at Sabon Gari Quarters, Yankura market as well as the Kwari Textile Market.

Recall that Governor Abdullahi Ganduje  had on Saturday announced that there would be a window of six hours each on Monday and Thursday to allow residents to restock for the stay at home order.

One of the textiles supermarkets allowed to operate along Taiwo Road was a beehive of activities with customers sweating profusely and defying the social distancing rule.

“Where will we get money to stay at home if we are not allowed to trade and get something?” A very furious trader at Sabon Gari Market stated.

Vanguard