News Archives

Coronavirus: Northern governors begin expulsion of Almajiris

Apr 23, 2020 topnews

The deportation of students of the Almajiri educational system by State governors in the North has begun as the region battles growing cases of COVID-19. Derived from the Arabic ‘al-Muhajirun’, an Almajiri is a person who leaves his home in search of Islamic knowledge. Although the controversial system has enjoyed a popularity spanning centuries, the pandemic is causing a major interruption in its operations. The Katsina State government yesterday received 435 students expelled from Kano State. The Secretary to the Government of Katsina State, Mustapha Inuwa, took custody of the…

COVID-19: El-Rufai recovers, tests negative twice

Apr 23, 2020 topnews

Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna State Governor, has recovered from coronavirus after testing negative twice for the virus. The governor had earlier on his twitter handle announced his recovery on Wednesday, saying he was delighted to announce to have been cleared of the deadly virus. El-Rufai tweeted, “I am delighted to report today that after nearly four weeks of observing a strict medical regime, I have now received the all-clear after two consecutive test results.” Later in a broadcast to residents, the governor said he would not wish his worst enemy…

First Quarter 2020: GTBank posts ₦58.2bn Profit Before Tax

Apr 23, 2020 topnews

Guaranty Trust Bank plc has released its unaudited financial results for the period ended March 31, 2020 to the Nigerian and London Stock Exchanges. A review of the results shows positive performance across all financial indices, reaffirming the Bank’s position as one of the most profitable and well managed financial institutions in Nigeria. Profit before tax stood at ₦58.2billion, representing a growth of 2.1% over ₦57.0billion recorded in the corresponding period of March 2019. The Bank’s Loan Book grew by 8.0% from ₦1.502trillion as at December 2019 to ₦1.622trillion in…

COVID-19: Nigeria total cases now 782

Apr 22, 2020 topnews

117 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Tuesday. This brings the total number of cases confirmed to 782. According to the NCDC, 59 cases were discovered in Lagos, 23 in FCT, 14 in Kano, six in Borno, four in Kastina, three in Ogun, while one each in Rivers and Bauchi. In its tweet late on Tuesday evening, the most recent data of COVID-19 in country, were 782 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 25 deaths, and 197 people have recovered…

Dead fishes litter Bayelsa coastline, Govt warns against consumption

Apr 22, 2020 topnews

Residents of Bayelsa state have been warned to abstain from harvesting, processing, eating or selling dead fishes currently littering the Atlantic coastline. The warning followed reports of massive death of fishes floating noticed since mid March on the coastline of the Niger Delta deposited by tidal waves occasioned by the pollution of the river. Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Environment, Warimapo Amatari, in a statement, yesterday, in Yenagoa, said that consumption of the dead fishes posed threat to public health. “People in the coastline communities are advised to henceforth, refrain…

COVID-19: Kano surge worries FG

Apr 22, 2020 topnews

The Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnibe Mamora has said that the rising case of coronavirus in Kano State is a source of concern to the Federal Government. Mamora who said this in Abuja at a media briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said the Federal Government would increase its support for the highly populated state to stop the spread of the virus. Also, the National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu, at the briefing, said the task force was concerned about the increasing cases of …

Same family members won’t get conditional cash transfer – FG

Apr 22, 2020 topnews

‌ The Federal Government has clarified on Tuesday, that members from the same family cannot receive money from the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme ongoing in many states. It also stated that a total of 279 trucks of grains had been deployed to the frontline states that were put on lockdown by the President. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, disclosed this at the daily briefing on COVID-19 updates in Abuja. She further said the government was focusing on digitalising the CCT scheme and was…

WASSCE, NECO postponed indefinitely

Apr 22, 2020 topnews

The indefinite postponement of the 2020 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination and the National Examinations Council slated for May and June, has been announced by the Federal Ministry of Education on Tuesday. The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, who spoke at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja, noted that 15 states had already commenced electronic learning for pupils on their local television and radio channels. Nwajiuba said, “We have announced that WAEC and NECO for the year have been postponed. This postponement is…

Kyari’s burial: We are sorry over social distance violation – PTF

Apr 21, 2020 topnews

The Chairman of the Presidential task force, Boss Mustapha, said the PTF members’ violation of the NCDC’s protocols was regrettable. The NCDC, in its interim guidelines for the safe management of a dead body, states, “In the event, a ceremony is held, the number of attendees should be limited. “The ceremony should be held in a well-ventilated structure, attendees should be advised on social distancing throughout the event, ensuring practice of hand and respiratory hygiene.” Although most attendees at Kyari’s burial wore face masks, they stood less than two metres…

COVID-19 corpses not Infectious -task force

Apr 21, 2020 topnews

Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday said the bodies of persons, who died of coronavirus, were not infectious. The National Coordinator of the task force, Dr Sani Aliyu, stated this in Abuja. At the briefing, Aliyu and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, apologised for some PTF members’ violation of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s protocols at the burial of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, on Saturday. Members of the task force, who attended the crowded burial, have been…