A Chief Magistrates ’ Court in Port Harcourt has granted bail to two pilots ; Samuel Ugorji and Samuel Buhari , after they were arrested for flouting an Executive Order on COVID- 19 by the Rivers State Government.
Also granted bail were 10 passengers , who were flown into the Air Force Base in Port Harcourt, the state capital .
They ( two pilots and 10 passengers ) are to appear in court on May 19 , 2020 for trial .
The 10 passengers were identified as Nwogu Chibunna , ‘ m ’ (39 ); Peter Michael , ‘ m ’ (43 ); Ajagba Iheanyi, ‘ m’ ( 35 ); Ekperewechi Oguguo, ‘ m’ ( 43 ); Nsikan Pius , ‘ m’ (38 ); Abanobi Chinoso , ‘ m’ (27 ); Udoh Hagan , ‘ m ’ (28 ); Okachukwu Chuks , ‘ m’ ( 41 ); Goddy Chukwu , ‘ m ’ ( 42 ); and Omerurike Chijioke , ‘ m ’ (43 ) .
Chief Magistrate, D . D. Ihua – Maduenyi , granted the two pilots bail after hearing the bail application by their counsel.
The European Union has given Nigeria € 50 million to fight the coronavirus disease which has killed at least 10 people in the West African country.
The donation was announced when the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ), received in audience the EU Delegation at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja .
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity , Femi Adesina , made this known via a tweet .
Adesina said Head of the EU delegation at the event , Amb Ketil Karlsen, who announced the donation , also commended Buhari for extending Lagos , Ogun, and Abuja lockdown .
Karlsen was quoted as describing Buhari ’ s address to the nation on Monday as “ powerful ” , adding that the retired general took bold and necessary measures.
“ EU gives Nigeria a grant of 50 million Euro to fight COVID- 19 , ” Adesina tweeted.
Also , the Personal Assistant on New Media to the President , Bashir Ahmad , said , “ The European Union has donated a grant of € 50 million to the Federal Government, their contribution to Nigeria ’ s fight against # COVID19 , the Head of EU delegation , Amb . Ketil Karlsen announces the donation at a meeting with President @ MBuhari today in Abuja . “
This was after an initial lockdown order declared by the retired general on March 31 elapsed .
In a nationwide broadcast on Monday , the president extended the restriction by 14 days, saying the decision was a difficult one for his regime .
Buhari said the initial lockdown helped Nigeria in its fight against the coronavirus .
After the President ’ s address , the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control announced that “ 20 new cases of # COVID- 19 have been reported as follows : 13 in Lagos , two in Edo, two in Kano, two in Ogun and one in Ondo.
“ As of 09 : 50 pm on the 13 th April, there are 343 confirmed cases of # COVID- 19 reported in Nigeria. 91 have been discharged with 10 deaths .
THE General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said the coronavirus pandemic would not end until God proves to the world that He is God.
He, however, urged Nigerians to remain on guard and not to be ‘unwise amid the Coronavirus pandemic.’
Preaching in a brief Easter service message titled: “A New Beginning” Adeboye said: “My God is not dead. He is alive and He is in control.”
Adeboye said: “We will remain on guard. We are not out of the wood yet. I want to assure you that your tomorrow will be alright.”
He said that although some other prophets had predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic would end at the end of March, he said God told him that there would be Coronavirus until the world goes on a compulsory holiday in recognition of His supremacy over the entire earth.
Adeboye said: “Some said there will be a seven-day rain after which the end of COVID 19 shall be wiped out by rain, but I told my children and the true children of God that Coronavirus will not die.
“God told your papa, who is not a prophet, but a pastor, that the virus will be there until the whole world has had a compulsory holiday. Until he proves to the whole world that he is God. He wants to prove to the world that he is in charge. Some people don’t know how to slow down and God knows how to apply brakes.
“I want to assure you that tomorrow will be alright. I hope you are enjoying your holiday because I am,” Adeboye said.
As COVID-19 continues to spread in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, prayers will continue to take place at home, not in mosques, for Ramadan
Muslims will only be permitted to pray at home in Saudi Arabia during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, the Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs announced . This will remain the case until the coronavirus pandemic ends worldwide.
Since 19 March, group prayers at mosques have been suspended in an attempt to contain the outbreak, a measure set to continue according to the minister, Abdul Lateef al-Sheikh.
According to Middle East Eye, Sheikh said the daily obligatory prayers observed by Muslims are more important than taraweeh prayers in Ramadan, adding that the instructions to stay home were in line with advice from the Health Ministry.
Sheikh told local media : “The suspension of performing the five daily prayers at mosques is more important than the suspension of taraweeh prayers. We ask Allah the Almighty to accept taraweeh prayers whether held at mosques, or homes, which we think is better for people’s health.”
The Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers , Musiliu Akinsanya also known as MC Oluomo, has said members of the union caught engaging in crimes during the coronavirus lockdown would be dismissed .
MC Oluomo disclosed this in a statement posted on his verified
Instagram page.
He implored his men to endure the season .
The NURTW boss said members apprehended at crime scenes would be prosecuted and dismissed while urging them to assist to obey the stay -at – home order of the government .
The statement read in part , “The NURTW Chairman enjoined all members to endure for the time being otherwise any member caught either attached to robbery or caught at the scene of the act will be totally dismissed and prosecuted by law .
“ MC Olumo advised members , including motorcycle and tricycle riders , popularly called Okada and Maruwa to adhere to the federal and state governments’ orders as regards the lockdown on movement .
“ He also implored all members especially the branch chairmen to be vigilant and assist their various communities in combating the daylight robberies that are currently being reported in different areas .
“ He pleaded with them to stay indoors because it is for the general good . ”
Nigerians residing abroad who have indicated interest in returning home on account of the coronavirus pandemic will pay before their evacuation to Nigeria , the Minister of Foreign Affairs , Geoffrey Onyeama , has disclosed .
The minister informed news correspondent that the stranded citizens would be required to pay for their flight ahead of the evacuation .
Onyeama stated this in a text message in response to an inquiry from newsmen about the evacuation .
Asked if those who registered for evacuation would pay before or after their evacuation, the minister replied , “ before evacuation. ”
However , he did not respond when asked if the government had any plan for those who might not be able to afford a return ticket .
Many Nigerians had been clamouring to come back to Nigeria following the increase in cases of COVID- 19 across the world .
A viral video showed about 100 Nigerians being evicted from their homes and hotels in Guangzhou by the Chinese authorities last week.
Sequel to this , the MFA had directed Nigerian missions abroad to compile a list of stranded Nigerian nationals who wished to come back home .
It stated that the financial implications would be borne by the prospective evacuees , who would also be compulsorily quarantined on arrival .
In response to the directive , the Nigerian Consulate in New York , United States , Nigerian High Commission in the UK and in other countries announced that they had begun compiling names of Nigerians willing to return home.
Findings indicated that the registration exercise for Nigerians interested in returning home has ended with over 2 , 000 individuals enrolling for evacuation .
Confirming this , the spokesman , Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission , Abdul – Rahman Balogun , stated that the missions were currently processing the names of those who had registered.
AS the two weeks lockdown declared by President Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State expires today, the President will by 7pm address Nigerians on the next line of action.
There have been anxiety in many quarters whether the lockdown which was imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) would be extended or lifted.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina in Abuja, said, “President Muhammadu Buhari will broadcast to the nation Monday, April 13, 2020 at 7pm.
“Television, radio and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) respectively for the broadcast.”
AS the two weeks lockdown declared by President Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State expires today, the President will by 7pm address Nigerians on the next line of action.
There have been anxiety in many quarters whether the lockdown which was imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) would be extended or lifted.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina in Abuja, said, “President Muhammadu Buhari will broadcast to the nation Monday, April 13, 2020 at 7pm.
“Television, radio and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) respectively for the broadcast.”
The Federal Ministry of Education has urged Nigerians to disregard some false news making the rounds that the Federal Government had directed the reopening of schools .
The ministry ’ s Director of Press, Ben Goong, said that there was no such directive from the minister , Adamu Adamu , as everyone had been instructed to work from home due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Goong noted that parents , guardians and stakeholders must not be misled by fake news but should continue to abide by the Federal Government’ s regulations to tackle the ravaging pandemic .
He said , “ On the issue of reopening of schools , the ministry has not directed the reopening of any school at any level . The purported press release by the minister to that effect is a clear forgery as it did not emanate from the minister .
“ Parents , students and the general public are advised to please disregard the fake release . There is also another story making the rounds that the Federal Government has blamed the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities on vice-chancellors . At no time did any Federal Government official make that kind of statement .
“ Any insinuation in that direction is simply emanating from the fertile imagination of the author and that the ministry has nothing whatsoever to do with it. Stakeholders and indeed the general public should disregard such statements . Stay at home , stay safe . Let ’ s work from home like I ’ m doing . Only the living can work or worship. ”
The United Arab Emirates has launched an online marriage service that allows couples to wed amid restrictions on movement and interaction imposed to counter the deadly coronavirus .
The UAE has taken strict measures to combat the spread of COVID- 19 respiratory disease , which has claimed the lives of well over 100 , 000 people worldwide .
The justice ministry said that citizens and residents can set a date for an online wedding ceremony conducted via video link with a cleric after their paperwork is submitted and approved — also online, according to the UAE ’ s official news agency WAM .
The procedure will see a cleric confirm the identity of the couple and witnesses , before a marriage certificate is relayed to a specialised court for validation .
The couple will receive confirmation of their marriage certificate via text message .
The service was launched “ to maintain the health of the public and that of people working in courts and to limit the presence of employees” , WAM reported .
This comes after Dubai , one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE , said on Wednesday it suspended “ until further notice ” marriages and divorces in the emirate . No announcement has been made about divorce proceedings .
Dubai has temporarily restricted the movement of people and vehicles , except for those working in “ vital sectors ” and with “ essential needs ” — such as food or medicine .
The UAE has recorded more than 3 , 700 coronavirus cases, including 20 deaths .
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