Local Makurdi news, Nigeria

Benue Assembly suspends plenary for members to undergo coronavirus tests

The Benue House of Assembly has suspended its plenary sessions to allow lawmakers and members of staff to subject themselves to COVID-19 screening.

Mr Tertsea Gbiseh, the Chairman House Standing Committee on Information and Orientation, announced this in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Makurdi.

The statement said the decision to undergo COVID-19 screening by members was arrived at after the noticeable spike in cases around the state.

“Going by the nature of the Assembly’s functions which warrant us to interact closely with constituents at the grassroots on one hand and top government functionaries in Ministries, Departments and Agencies, on the other hand, it has become imperative to embark on regular COVID-19 tests due to the risk of exposure encountered in the discharge of our duties,” the statement read.

The Assembly commended members of the State Action Task Force on COVID-19 for their efforts thus far and urged them to do more by making test centres readily accessible to all those willing to confirm their status in the state.

The Assembly also sympathised with all those who had tested positive to the virus and wished them a speedy recovery.

They urged all citizens of the state to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols and stay safe.

The statement said that plenary session would resume as soon as the leadership of the Assembly determined it was safe enough for members and staff of the assembly.

Two Detained Nigerian Air Force Personnel In Benue Cry Out For Help, Allege Plot To Murder Them Over Cooperative Society Activities

Two detained officers of the Nigeria Air Force in Makurdi, Benue State, have cried out for help over what they described as false accusations levelled against them by senior officers in the service.

The men, Military Warrant Officer Oyebanji and Warrant Officer Paul Atteh, were detained after they set up a Multipurpose Cooperative Society to service soldiers and interested civilians outside of the Nigeria Air Force to the disdain of their superior, one Air Commodore L. I Oluwatoyin, a family source said.

Air Commodore Oluwatoyin, who is not a member of the cooperative, SaharaReporters gathered subsequently launched an audit of the accounts of the independent group.

“The headquarters, Tactical Air Command of the Nigerian Air Force, Makurdi, was asked to audit the account and they did and found nothing wrong with the cooperative management. Not satisfied, Air Commodore LI Oluwatoyin requisitioned another audit to be conducted and the Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force Accounts & Budget commissioned a private audit firm and they re-audited the cooperative society and still found nothing,” a source said.

He added that failing to prove any wrongdoing, Air Commodore Oluwatoyin commissioned a private auditing firm, Abba Adadu & Co. who alleged that over N41, 286, 056.57 (Forty-One Million, Two Hundred & Eighty-Six Thousand, Fifty-Six Naira, Fifty-Six Kobo) had been misappropriated as at June 2019 even though records show that the sum was captured as the value of the investment as at June 2019.

SaharaReporters gathered that one Group Captain AO Akinbuwa working in cahoots with Air Commodore Oluwatoyin sent an allegedly false report through a Nigeria Airforce Signal Message accusing one of the detained persons, Military Warrant Officer Oyebanji of stealing fifty million Naira from the cooperative society.

The Nigeria Airforce was again called in and one Captain L. I Nansok who is the Commander Provost of Investigations alleged that Military Warrant Officer Oyebanji misappropriated the sum of forty million, two hundred and seven Naira, seven hundred and sixty Kobo.

On the combined strength of these conflicting figures, the two airmen MWO Oyebanji & WO Atteh have been in detention for the past one year under the guise of a court-martial trial which is suffering endless adjournments just to allow time for them to suffer severely.

Based on the alleged findings of the investigator, the two men have been in detention for one year facing court-martial with “endless adjournments” leading to their suffering, a source said.

The two airforce personnel are now crying out for help after another airman who was detained in a guardroom at the Nigeria Airforce base in Sokoto allegedly committed suicide.

“Because of the incident, they have removed basic personal hygiene materials like toothbrush & paste, beddings and loin clothes all carted away on grounds that they may do something untoward to themselves.

“But the real question is why are they detained for so long without releasing them to attend the court from their official quarters or from the Mess as is required by the service extant laws? Why would people who have devoted their entire youth in the service of the Air Force be made to sleeping on the bare floor in this 21 century? Even the little beddings provided by their wives have been confiscated from them. Their cream, their comb, toothbrush/paste, loincloth including their food all removed.

“One Air Police Corporal Galadima planted by Air Commodore LI Oluwatoyin and Group Captain AO Akinbuwa has been a torn on their flesh in executing the instructions of his masters. He has of late openly told them to their faces that he is going to poison their food so that they will die and nothing will come out of it.

“How on earth can a man who has declared to the hearing of the public that he will kill the duo of MWO Oyebanji & WO Atteh be allowed to still attend to them if the authorities of the Air Force are not working in collusion with the man to ensure he does their hatched job?,” the Oyebanji family said.

The men and their family called on the Nigeria Airforce and well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of the men and ensure their release before it is too late.

“The offense they are alleged to have committed is not treasonable felony neither are they facing murder charges. The cooperative society in issue does not belong to the Air Force. The Air Force is not a shareholder. It is society owned by some soldiers, retired soldiers and some civilians including the detained airmen. So what exactly is the interest of the Nigerian Air Force and why are they hell-bent on ensuring that these men die in detention?”, the family queried.

They called on the Nigerian public and government to hold Air Commodore L. I Oluwatoyin, Group Captain A. O Akinbuwa, Air Commodore Aliyu the President of the Court Martial and Squadron Leader Umuoh the Judge Advocate responsible if harm comes to the men.

The men, Military Warrant dSocietyetainedOfficer Oyebanji and Warrant Officer Paul Atteh, were after they set up a Multipurpose Cooperative to service soldiers and interested civilians outside of the Nigeria Airforce, to the disdain of their superior, one Air Commodore L. I Oluwatoyin, a family source said.

Air Commodore Oluwatoyin SaharaReporters gathered who is not a member of the cooperative subsequently launched an audit of the accounts of the independent cooperative society.

“The headquarters, Tactical Air Command of the Nigerian Air Force, Makurdi was asked to audit the account and they did and found nothing wrong with the cooperative management. Not satisfied, Air Commodore LI Oluwatoyin requisitioned another audit to be conducted and the Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force Accosourceunts & Budget commissioned a private Audit Firm and they re-audited the cooperative society and still found nothing,” a said.

He added that failing to prove any wrongdoing, Air Commodore LI Oluwatoyin commissioned a private auditing firm, Abba Adadu & Co. who alleged that over N41, 286, 056.57 (Forty-One Million, Two Hundred & Eighty-Six Thousand, Fifty-Six Naira, Fifty-Six Kobo) had been misappropriated as at June 2019 even though records showed that the sum was captured as the value of the investment as at June 2019.

SaharaReporters gathered that one Group Captain AO Akinbuwa working in cahoots with Air Commodore Oluwatoyin sent an allegedly false report through a Nigeria Air Force Signal accusing one of the detained persons, Military Warrant Officer Oyebanji of stealing N50m from the cooperative society.

The Nigeria Air Force was again called in and one Captain L. I Nansok, who is the Commander Provost of Investigations, alleged that Military Warrant Officer Oyebanji misappropriated the sum of forty million, two hundred and seven naira, seven hundred and sixty Kobo.

Based on the alleged findings of the investigator, the two men have been in detention for one year facing court-martial with “endless adjournments” leading to their suffering, a source said.

The two air force personnel are now crying out for help after another airman who was detained in a guardroom at the Nigeria Air Force base in Sokoto allegedly committed suicide.

“Because of the incident, they have removed basic personal hygiene materials like toothbrush & paste, beddings and loin clothes all carted away on grounds that they may do something untoward to themselves.

“But the real question is why are they detained for so long without releasing them to attend the court from their official quarters or from the Mess as is required by the service extant laws? Why would people who have devoted their entire youth in the service of the Air Force be made to be sleeping on the bare floor in this 21st century? Even the little beddings provided by their wives have been confiscated from them. Their cream, their comb, toothbrush/paste, loincloth including their food all removed.

“One Air Police Corporal Galadima planted by Air Commodore LI Oluwatoyin and Group Captain AO Akinbuwa has been a thorn on their flesh in executing the instructions of his masters. He has of late openly told them to their faces that he is going to poison their food so that they will die and nothing will come out of it.

“How on earth can a man who has declared to the hearing of the public that he will kill the duo of MWO Oyebanji & WO Atteh be allowed to still attend to them if the authorities of the Air Force are not working in collusion with the man to ensure he does their hatched job?,” the Oyebanji family said.

The men and their family called on the Nigeria Air Force and well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of the men and ensure their release before it is too late.

“The offense they are alleged to have committed is not treasonable felony neither are they facing murder charges. The cooperative society in issue does not belong to the Air Force. The Air Force is not a shareholder. It is society owned by some soldiers, retired soldiers and some civilians including the detained airmen. So what exactly is the interest of the Nigerian Air Force and why are they hell-bent on ensuring that these men die in detention?”, the family queried.

They called on the Nigerian public and government to hold Air Commodore L. I Oluwatoyin, Group Captain A. O Akinbuwa, Air Commodore Aliyu, the President of the Court Martial and Squadron Leader Umuoh, the Judge Advocate responsible if harm comes to the men.

Benue university deputy vice chancellor dies of coronavirus

The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of the Benue State University (BSU) and Vice Chairman of the State Action Committee on COVID-19, Prof. Godwin Achinge, is dead.

Achinge died on Sunday afternoon in Jos, Plateau State.

A source in Makurdi Benue State, told newsmen that he died due to complications arising from the disease.

Recall that Governor Samuel Ortom had on Saturday confirmed that Achinge and 32 others tested positive for the deadly disease.

Benue SSG, COS, 32 others test positive for coronavirus

Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue said the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Tony Ijohor and Chief of Staff, Mr Terwase Orbunde have tested positive for COVID-19.

The governor disclosed this on Saturday while briefing newsmen in Makurdi.

He further said that the State Head of Service, Mrs Veronica Onyeke also tested positive to the virus, alongside the Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration, Benue State University, Makurdi, Prof. Godwin Achinge.

“It is no longer news that my wife, one of my sons and staff tested positive to the virus too.

“The test was carried out about a week ago. When the result came out 35 persons in the state tested positive to the virus.

“My test result came out negative. But the medical officers said that another test will be carried out on me after three days.

“So, after this interaction I will isolate myself. I will be in isolation until I have clearance from the medical officers.

“COVID-19 is real and I enjoin my people to take the preventive measures seriously. I want my people to be alive and free from the disease.

“We have to stop the spread of the disease by maintaining all the COVID-19 protocols,” he said.

The governor also urged Benue people to avail themselves for testing, stressing that the earlier the disease is detected the better.

“Even if one who tests positive to the disease has underlining ailments and the virus is detected early enough it will not kill the person.

“I want to repeat what my wife said in her statement that COVID-19 is not a death sentence. A lot of persons that tested positive have been treated and discharged.”

Benue governor advises contacts to self-isolate as he confirms wife, SSG coronavirus positive

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has confirmed that his wife, Dr. Mrs. Eunice Ortom and Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Prof. Anthony Ijohor tested positive for COVID-19.

The Governor in a press briefing Saturday urged people he had contact with in the last 2 weeks to self-isolate.

He also confirmed his Chief of Staff, Hon. Terwase Orbunde and the state Head of Service, Mrs. Veronica Onyeke among others as having tested positive for the virus.

Governor Ortom who announced that though he tested negative, the first family had decided to go into total isolation including himself.

He urged people of the state to go for testing to ascertain their status and take necessary action.

“One lesson that I want Benue people to appreciate and understand is that everybody has to make himself available for testing. The more you test, the more you know your status; when you know that you are positive, then you can subject yourself to treatment.”

When asked if government was considering another lockdown, the Governor said the state Action Committee on COVID-19 would sit early next week to review the situation with a view to considering the next line of action.

While noting that testing positive for the virus was not a death sentence, the Governor urged people of the state to take preventive protocols seriously in order to help stop the spread of the pandemic.

The Governor’s wife had earlier issued a statement she personally signed confirming her status and one of her sons, even as she called on anybody she might have come in contact with to go into self-isolation and subsequent testing.

“While I have taken the responsibility to personally call everyone I can recall having had recent contact with to go for testing, I advise anyone who has had close contact with me in the last 2 weeks and the public to go for screening and testing,” she stated.

BREAKING: Benue Governor’s Wife, Son Test Positive For COVID-19

Eunice Ortom, wife of Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, her son and some of her staff have tested positive for COVID-19.

Mrs Ortom disclosed this in a statement she personally signed on Friday night.

According to the statement, the first lady had gone on self-isolation with her son and all her affected staff.

The statement reads, “A few moments ago this (Friday) evening, I received my result from the tests earlier carried out on me and others by NCDC personnel on routine screening at House, Makurdi which returned that I and my son, and some staff are COVID-19 positive.

“We have from this moment, gone into total isolation as required by the protocols and would immediately begin the management treatment as advised by medical experts.

“While I have taken the responsibility to personally call everyone I can recall to have had recent contact with to go for testing, I advise anyone who has had close contact with me in the last two weeks and the public to go for screening and testing.

“I wish to reiterate that being COVID-19 positive is not a death sentence as evident by the many recoveries recorded thus far so there is no need to panic, but we should continue to be responsible in our actions so as to keep others safe."