COVID-19 may be a hoax, says Kogi governor

KOGI State Governor Yahaya Bello on Tuesday said the fear of Coronavirus kills faster than the virus itself.

According to him, an epidemic that has killed 510,909 people worldwide as of Tuesday was an “imported” illness that was “forced on people” to shorten their lifespan.

The governor disagreed with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) over the death of the state Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah.

Ajanah died on Sunday at the Gwagwalada COVID-19 Isolation Centre.

His interment, which happened at Gudu Cemetery, Abuja, was conducted in compliance with the COVID-19 burial protocol set by the NCDC.

Bello had accused the NCDC of creating up numbers that were neither correct nor emanated from the state.

Speaking at the third-day prayer for the late Chief Judge on Tuesday, he urged the people to not concede to fear.

He described the COVID-19 as worse than banditry, insurgency and genocide put together, adding that it had been artificial, but unfortunately sold to Nigerians.

He said Justice Ajanah died naturally, and urged the people to not attribute his death to anything as is “being insinuated by certain persons for political and mischief purposes”.

The governor said: “Do not concede to fear and evil of the problems of COVID-19. it's a disease that has been imported, propagated and made on the people for no just cause.

“Nothing kills faster than fear. I urge you all to not accept cut and paste as COVID-19.

“It is merely bent create fear, panic and pandemic, orchestrated to scale back and shorten the lifespan of the people.

“Whether doctors and scientists believe it or not, COVID-19 is bent shorten the lifespans of the people. it's a disease propagated by force for Nigerians to simply accept .”

Bello described the late Ajanah as a sound jurist and a devotee of peace. He prayed Allah to grant him Aljanah Firdaus.

Ajanah’s death followed that of Kogi Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Ibrahim Shaibu Atadoga, who died on summer solstice after a quick illness.

In May, Kogi State rejected two cases of Coronavirus reported by the NCDC.

“Kogi State till this very moment is COVID-19 free. we've developed the complete testing capacity and have conducted many tests thus far which have returned negative,” Commissioner for Health Saka Audu, said.

Kogi alleged a plot to compulsorily report COVID-19 cases within the state.

It barred an NCDC team from conducting COVID-19 tests within the state, insisting that it had conducted over 100 tests that each one clothed negative.

The governor had asked the officials to go away the state or continue a 14-day quarantine.