Suspected COVID-19 patient dies in commercial bus

A passenger who violated the interstate night travel ban in Badeggi, Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State reportedly died in a commercial vehicle.

It was learnt that a commercial bus with registration number, JJJ 349 XN, was travelling from Lagos to a northern state through the Bida- Badeggi-Lambata high way when the vehicle broke down at Badeggi.

News correspondents gathered that one George Udom alerted the Niger State Task Force on COVID-19 to the presence of the bus at Badeggi in the early hours of Thursday.

The Bida zonal unit of the task force upon getting there discovered that one of the passengers suspected to be a COVID -19 patient had died.

The Chairman of the state  COVID-19 task force, who is also the Secretary to Niger State Government, Ibrahim Matane, briefed Governor Abubakar Bello about the development.

Director-General of ICT and Public Enlightenment in the Governor’s  Office, Abdul Bergki, who also confirmed this in his official Twitter handle, said, “To avoid infection, the chairman has been directed to call mechanics, who will fix the vehicle and escort the bus out of Niger State with security personnel back to where they are coming from and hand them over to the authorities there.

“All those to be involved must wear face mask, hand gloves, eyeglasses before touching the vehicle for repairs.”