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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says no damage was done to any records in a fire outbreak in its Jos branch .

The Bank’s Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mr Isaac Okorafor said this in a statement in Abuja.

Okorafor said the minor fire had been effectively put out while the affected room had since been cordoned off for further investigation as normal work had already resumed at the branch.

More news👉 https://latestnewsupdates.news.blog/2020/04/21/just-in-fire-guts-cbn-office-in-jos/

He said: “at about 9:15 a.m today, Tuesday, the fire alarm in our Jos branch was triggered and in line with the bank’s fire drill and protocols, the staff on skeletal essential duty were promptly evacuated from the building to the muster point.

“Our branch Controller quickly called the fire service at about 9.19 a.m. However, before the arrival of men of the fire service, the bank’s security unit, relying on information from the fire alarm dashboard, traced the fire to an air condtioner installed in the inverter room on the second floor of the building.

“They swiftly put out the fire with extinguishers and hydrants installed in the building.”

Vanguard

A fire incident has occurred at the Central Bank of Nigeria ’ s office in Jos, Plateau State.

The fire was said to have gutted part of the building .

Confirming the report , the apex bank tweeted, “Minor fire outbreak at the Jos branch of Central Bank of Nigeria , promptly contained today , April 21 , 2020 . ”

Punch

The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 170 , 000 people globally , close to two – thirds of them in hardest-hit Europe , according to an AFP tally Tuesday at 0935 GMT .

In total , 170 , 226 people have died from the virus around the world , including 106 , 737 in Europe . With 42 , 364 deaths , the United States has the highest mortality rate , followed by Italy with 24 , 114 fatalities and Spain ’ s 21 , 282. France has 20 , 265 deaths and Britain 16 , 509 .

There are 2 , 483 , 086 recorded cases around the world, though the number of actual infections is believed to be higher since many countries are only testing the most serious cases.

The figures have been compiled by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization .

AFP

While much of the world labours under strict coronavirus lockdowns , Malawi has bucked the trend after a court blocked attempts to restrict its population ’ s movements — much to the relief of some residents.

“ Had the lockdown been implemented , we would certainly have died of hunger and not coronavirus , ” second – hand clothes seller Thom Minjala said after hearing of the case .

Malawi has so far confirmed just 17 cases, including two deaths , but President Peter Mutharika has warned that without locking down the country, the virus could kill around 50 , 000.

Most Malawians live on less than a dollar a day , scraping together wages through informal trades or low -earning odd jobs .

“ Of course , we are afraid of the disease but our number one fear is hunger , ” said Minjala . “We don ’ t have any money to save , whatever we make from the daily sales is what feeds us for the day ” .

Shortly after Mutharika announced the lockdown , scores of individual traders took to the streets in protest .

The Human Rights Defenders Coalition went to court and secured a seven -day order stopping the lockdown , accusing the government of a “ haphazard approach” .

“ What we want is a balance of human rights while fighting the pandemic . A lockdown is possible with sound measures and not the casual measures meant to foil people’ s freedoms , ” the coalition ’ s leader Gift Trapence said .

The Oxford English Dictionary has been updated with new words relating to the coronavirus pandemic in its April edition .

The PUNCH reports that additions were also made in the dictionary ’ s sub – entries and unrevised entries .

The newly – added words are COVID- 19 , infodemic, R0 , self – isolate, self – isolated, self – isolating , self -isolation , self – quarantine , self -quarantined , shelter in place, social distancing , and social isolation.

The dictionary also added “ to flatten the curve ” in its new entries .

“ PPE ” and “ social recession” were updated in the dictionary ’ s sub -entries while “elbow bump ” and “ WFH” – working ( or work) from home – were included in its unrevised entries .

In a post on its blog, OED also listed 20 keywords searched during the coronavirus pandemic – January – March .

In January and February , some of the keywords related to coronavirus ; others referred to other world events such as the Australian bushfires , the assassination of Qasem Soleimani , Donald Trump ’ s impeachment and acquittal , the Democratic caucuses, locust swarms in East Africa , investigations into the Astros sign -stealing scandal, and so on .

In March , however , every one of the top twenty keywords was in some way related to coronavirus .

In January , the words mainly relate to naming and describing the virus : coronavirus , SARS, virus , human – to -human , respiratory , and flu – like .

By March the keywords reflect the social impact of the virus , and issues surrounding the medical response .

Among the words listed are social distancing , self – isolation , and self -quarantine , lockdown , non – essential ( as in non – essential travel) , and postpone are all especially frequent , as are PPE and ventilator .

Others are COVID – 19 , pandemic , distancing , coronavirus, self – isolate, sanitiser , quarantine , virus , outbreak , corona , postpone , disinfect , and isolation .

The global oil price benchmark, Brent crude , has extended its decline , plummeting to $ 19 per barrel on Tuesday , amid the demand collapse caused by reduced economic activity .

Brent , against which Nigeria’ s crude oil is priced, fell by $ 6 . 34 to $ 19 . 23 per barrel as of 11 :01 am Nigerian time on Tuesday , while US WTI stood at minus $ 8 . 00 per barrel .

The Federal Government had recently slashed the oil price benchmark for the 2020 budget to $ 30 per barrel from $ 57 per barrel .

Oil prices have been steadily falling since the outbreak of coronavirus, and the demand for crude has plunged as many countries were forced to impose lockdowns to contain the virus .

The price of US crude oil turned negative for the first time in history on Monday amid the deepest fall in demand in 25 years .

A flood of unwanted oil in the market caused the US oil price benchmark, West Texas Intermediate , to plummet to almost minus $ 40 per barrel , meaning that producers were paying buyers to take oil off their hands as storage tanks were filling rapidly .

The National Bureau of Statistics has said the Consumer Price Index , which measures inflation rose by 12 . 26 per cent year- on – year in March .

The bureau in the CPI report said the 12 . 26 per cent inflation for March is 0 . 06 percentage points higher than the 12 . 2 per cent recorded in February, according to reports .

The report said the lockdown in Abuja , Lagos and Ogun states which started in April and various major disruptions in normal economic activity in several States would not have any major impact on March inflation which the report focuses on .

On a month – on – month basis, the NBS said the index increased by 0 . 84 per cent in March , adding that this is 0 . 05 per cent higher than the 0 . 79 per cent recorded in February.

President Donald Trump said that he would temporarily suspend immigration to the United States because of the coronavirus pandemic , despite the US already being the worst – hit country in the world .

Trump referred to the “Invisible Enemy , ” a phrase he has used to describe the virus that has killed more than 42 , 000 people in the US , which has more than 766 , 660 infections .

“ In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens , I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States !” he tweeted .

The State Department issued around 462 , 000 immigrant visas in the 2019 fiscal year, while US Citizens and Immigration Services granted permanent residence to nearly 577 , 000 individuals .

Trump said the move would also protect American jobs, although the state – imposed lockdowns to slow the virus have already left 22 million people in the US out of work.

His tweet gave no further details about what the measure would entail , how it would be implemented or how long it would be in place.

Former Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide , is dead .

Akinjide passed on at the age of 88 in his Ibadan residence , the Oyo State capital .

It was gathered that the legal icon , who died of complications from a protracted illness around 1 am , had been sick for three years .

Akinjide , an Ibadan high chief , was born in Ibadan , in the early 1930 s to an influential family of warriors .

He attended Oduduwa College , Ile – Ife in Osun State and passed out with a distinction ( Aggregate 6 ) .

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria proceeded on his educational journey to the United Kingdom in 1951 and was called to the English Bar in 1955 .
He was later called to the Nigerian Bar and established Akinjide and Co . , a legal firm.

He was a Minister of Education in the first republic, under Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and Minister of Justice in the second republic , during the administration of former President Shehu Shagari.

Akinjide was a member of the judicial systems sub – committee of the Constitutional Drafting Committee of 1975 – 1977 and later joined the National Party of Nigeria in 1978 , and became the legal adviser to the party .

While serving as the Attorney General of the Federation , Nigeria temporarily reversed the executions of armed robbers .

He was the lead prosecutor in the treason trial of Bukar Zanna Mandara; the eviction of many illegal foreign nationals from Nigeria which contributed to mild violence against some foreigners in the land.

His remains have reportedly been deposited in the morgue .

Kaduna State Governor , Nasir El -Rufai , says reports circulating online that he is in an Intensive Care Unit is false .

The governor , who announced on March 28 that he tested positive for coronavirus , has since been in isolation receiving treatment .

Reacting to the reports , El- Rufai said evening that he took some hours out of isolation today to attend a virtual meeting chaired by his deputy , Dr Hadiza Balarabe .

He also shared pictures of the meeting to further debunk reports that his health had worsened .

“ Earlier today , I took two hours out of isolation to attend the daily virtual meeting of State Standing Committee on COVID- 19 , chaired by Deputy Governor , Dr Hadiza Balarabe . Since there is fake news circulating that I am in ICU in Lagos , an ICU picture will help! NAE , ” he tweeted.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control as of Sunday night , six of the 627 coronavirus cases recorded in Nigeria were reported in Kaduna State .