Nigeria has been hit with another 14 new cases of Coronavirus, with the national figures standing at 288.

Lagos has continued to have rising cases, as it had 13 of the new cases announced by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.

“Fourteen new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Nigeria: 13 in Lagos and 1 in Delta State.

Fourteen new cases of #COVID19 have been reported in Nigeria: 13 in Lagos and 1 in Delta State

As at 09:30 pm 9th April there are 288 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. Fifty-one have been discharged with seven deaths pic.twitter.com/DuP2SGUiTy

— NCDC (@NCDCgov) April 9, 2020

“As at 09:30 pm 9th April there are 288 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria. Fifty-one have been discharged with seven deaths.

The worst hit in the figures released by the NCDC is Lagos, whose figures have risen to 158 from 145 it recorded on Wednesday.

Lagos has thus far recorded 38 new cases in three days. The state has so far discharged 39 Coronavirus patients and recorded three deaths and two evacuated to their countries.

Active Coronavirus cases in Lagos jumps from 101 early Thursday to 114 on the evening of same day.

The Police in Lagos on Wednesday said 78 violators of the Coronavirus lockdown have been arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to 30-day community service.

The police also said the violators would observe compulsory 14-isolation, adding that 600 vehicles have been impounded so far.

Bala Elkana, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in a statement on Wednesday that police officers on enforcement of restriction of movements order arrested 78 suspects for violating the stay at home directives of government.

“The suspects were arrested playing football on major streets and having group exercise in large number, thereby neglecting the principles of social distancing.

“The suspects were arraigned at the Chief Magistrate Court, Yaba on one count charge of violating the social distancing directives of Lagos State Government contrary to Regulation 8(1)( a) &(b) and 17(1)(i) of Lagos State Infectious Disease (Emergency prevention) Regulation 2020.

“It is an offence punishable under Section 58 Public Health Law Cap P16 Laws of Lagos State, 2015. Seventy three of the suspects pleaded guilty to the charge while 3 pleaded not guilty. The Court ordered that all the suspects should be kept in Government Isolation Centres for 14 days and thereafter serve one month community service.

“The three suspects who pleaded not guilty will after observing the 14 days isolation, be brought to Court for trial,” he said.

The suspects were arrested along Bush street, Gbagada expressway, Ogudu, Iyana Iba, Ojo road, Ebute Metta, Asimowu street Itire and Ajegunle.

They include:

1. Meeks John 29 years

2. Kingsley Jacob 28 years

3. Anthony Fashanu 28 years

4. Chukwuma Okwubaba 28 years

5. Luke Eboro 43 years

6. Kenneth Obasuyi 64 years

7. Julius Joel 41 years

8. Victor Tamund 38 years

9, Egbo Nnamdi 40 years

10. Fortune Sunday 26 years

11. Faith Omoefe 24 years

12. Abdulsalam Ahmed 27 years

13. Rabiu Aslam 20 years

14. Phil Omoefe 32 years

15. Adetutu Adurogbanpa 30 years

16. Gbadamosi Oluwakemi 30 years

17. Segun Joshua 24 years

18. Amaka Chuks 28 years

19. Edokpe Eric Emeka 37 years

20. Ismaila Kareem 24 years

21. Nduke Kingsley 22 years

22. Barnabas James 48 years

23. Adeleke Sunday 37 years

24. Ibrahim Olaniron 26 years

25. Daniel Oduma 31 years

26. Bashua Oluwaseyi 45 years

27. Folajin Ebunoluwa 21 years

28 Folajin Feyi 59 years

29. Joshua Oyenusi 30 years

30. Adam Abdulrahman 25 years

31. Ayomide Adenuga 20 years

32. Omoniyi Oladayo 37 years

33. Bamidele Stephen 47 years

34. Chison Onwusoron 18 years

35. Oloruntoba Aisha 31 years

36. Obi Okoye 32 years

37. Olagoke Onuoluwa 28 years

38. Akeem Ikeoluwa 43 years

39. Yakubu Musa 27 years

40. Segun Michael 27 years

41. Idris Abdulsalem 22 years

42. Shittu Okikiola 26 years

43. Adebayo Adewunmi 44 years

44. Isiola kazeem 30 years

45. Ojo Moses 21 years

46. Nzube Nwaenyi 22 years

47. Kingsley Hosea 28 years

48. John Christopher 22 years

49. Saheed Lawal 34 years

50. Chibuike Ogbor 31 years

51. John Felix Adekanye 30 years

52. Adekunle Peter 28 years

53. Rilwan Babajide 18 years

54. Bukola Oyekola 30 years

55. Ubogu Kennedy 30 years

56. Yusuf Lawal 25 years

57. Olamide Wasiu 17 years

58. Shares Isiaka 24 years

59. Wisdom Edokpayi 34 years

60. Duyilemi Micheal 34 years

61. Ofen Francis 30 years

62. Mukaila Babatunde 19 years

63. Nwanga Sunday 28 years

64. Chukwuma ifeadi 30 years

65. Kareem Akeem 24 years

66. Chibuzor Okonkwo 40 years

67. Tosin Oluwadamilare 24 years

68 Zakariyu Mohammed 29 years

69. Olasunkanmi Akanbi 37 years

70. Babatunde Olafusi 40 years

71. Idowu Amuza 25 years

72. Kehinde Oke 20 years

73. Dayo Adegoke 20 years

74. Nachi Emeka 18 years

75. Akpede Isaiah 19 years

76. Akpede Joshua 17 years

77. Akanbi Afeez 18 years

78. Tosin Oluwadamilare 24 years

Nigeria’s Federal Government has sent new reduced budget proposal to the National Assembly for approval as a result of the economic impact of Coronavirus pandemic.

The proposal to the National Assembly saw the budget being reduced from N10.594 trillion to N10.276 trillion.

According to The Nation, the budget reduced the oil bench mark from $57 per barrel to $30 per barrel while the oil production volume was reduced from 2.17 million barrel to 1.70 million barrel.

The exchange rate increased from N305 to N360 to a dollar.

Another music crooner, Adekunle Temitope a.k.a Small Doctor has handed himself over to the police for breach of the social distance regulations imposed by Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Small Doctor was among the 43 guests, who attended the birthday bash hosted by Funke Akindele-Bello for the 43rd birthday of her husband, Abdul Rasheed Bello a.k.a JJC Skilltz last Saturday.

The party held at their Amen Estate, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos residence in contravention of the lockdown order of President Muhammadu Buhari and Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on social distancing which forbade a gathering of more than 20 people.

Small Doctor arrived Ogba Magistrate Court on Wednesday after 12 noon in a jeep utility vehicle accompanied by one ‘Aburebe’.

He was dressed in a black Tee Shirt over a white and green jogger with a white canvass shoe to match.

A police source told The Nation at Ogba Magistrate Court that Small Doctor appeared in court to honour invitation sent by the Police to all those who were in attendance the party.

Policemen however prevented Small Doctor from entering the premises of Ogba Magistrate Court but was directed to a police vehicle.

He held discussions with a senior police officer in a security vehicle.

Few minutes after, the Deputy Commissioner, Panti Police Station, DCP Yetunde Longer, came from the court where the trial of Naira Marley, Babatunde Gbadamosi and wife, Folashade was ongoing before Chief Magistrate Yewande Aje-Afunwa.

Both of them drove away in a Police van marked PF 296 SPY accompanied by another security vehicle.

Some residents of Gbagada in Lagos state got more than they could chew after coming out en masse to exercise despite the lock down order given by the government.

The gym enthusiasts who have flouted the stay-at-home order for some days now, eventually met their embarrassing fate after soldiers stormed their workout session to intensify it by punishing them.

The Security Agencies making the process easier people that want to keep fit and exercise their body this morning on Gbagada Express .... Kudos to them .. A Healthy Lagos is a SAFE Lagos. #Covid19Lagos pic.twitter.com/7fSInoeQz3

— Gawat Jubril A. (@Mr_JAGss) April 8, 2020

Videos of the fitness enthusiasts on the expressway circulated online – Twitter user @Engr_Series shared a video of residents of Lagos state exercising on the now deserted Ikorodu road.

He wrote,

”So much for social distancing. The gym moved to Ikorodu this morning, from Haruna down to Agric busstop… Is this really a lockdown?”

The Nation reports that a Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has sentenced 34 persons to one month community service for violating the social distancing directives of the Lagos State Government.

The court convicted the defendants following their plea of guilty to a one-count charge of working out in a group larger than 20 persons on the Gbagada-Oworonsoki Expressway.

The court ruled the violators should be quarantined for 14 days at the Infectious Diseases Hospital Yaba or any other place designated by the government.

Three others pleaded not guilty.

Sam Adeyemi, the senior pastor of the Daystar Christian Centre, has warned leaders to stop giving extreme interpretations to the Coronavirus epidemic.

Adeyemi’s warning followed debates and conspiracy theories by popular pastors and politicians who have found a way to link the 5G network with spiritual things and the Coronavirus epidemic.

One of the popular pastors was Chris Oyakhilome who in a viral video linked the Coronavirus and the 5G network to Antichrist.

Oyakhilome also alleged that the Federal government of Nigeria, locked down Lagos, Abuja to secretly install 5G.

Pastor Sam Adeyemi, however, debunked Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s claim.

Adeyemi said churches, mosques, schools, and markets were also shut in 1918 during the influenza pandemic in Nigeria.

Adeyemi urged leaders to use the opportunities in every crisis, and not to project extreme interpretation that causes fear to their followers.

“Some leaders are giving extreme interpretations to the crisis. I studied the last global pandemic before COVID-19 to give the right perspective.

“There was a pandemic 100 years ago I read online because the interpretation that people are giving to this pandemic, they range from one extreme to the other.

“I don’t even want to go into the details now, but there’s quarrel on social media now, from 5G to 10G and other things. I decided to check, how it affects Nigeria and came across a research article by a history lecturer at the University at Birnin Kebbi.

“In 1918 September, when the influenza epidemic hit, it was sea travel that spread influenza around unlike air travel spreading Coronavirus now.

“The ships brought sick people into the Lagos port.

“I was shocked and screamed when I saw they closed churches, mosques, schools and markets in 1918. So, some of us now think it is the anti-Christ that is at work, he does not want us to gather together and fellowship.

“We should just be grateful to God that we have internet now and we can be relating without meeting together. They shut churches in 1918.

“A leader should take a perspective like that, then calm people down and tell them there will be life after this thing,” he said.

The 1918 pandemic was the Spanish flu crisis which was from January 1918 to December 1920.

The flu killed about 50million people and infected about 500 million people (about a quarter of the world’s population at the time).

However, Sam Adeyemi made his points on Tuesday night during a live Instagram chat with Poju Oyemade, the senior pastor of The Covenant Nation.

View this post on Instagram

#COVID-19 : Pastor Adeyemi issues strong warning to fellow pastors, says Churches also closed in 1918.

A post shared by nwachukwu john owen (@realjohn_owen) on Apr 8, 2020 at 12:22am PDT

Lagos State Government on Wednesday said one the coronavirus patients taking treatment in its facility has died.

“We just recorded another #COVID19 related death in Lagos,” spokesman to Lagos State governor Gboyega Akosile tweeted quoting a statement by the state’s health ministry.

“Lagos State Ministry of Health says it’s a 66-year-old Briton who travelled from India via Dubai to Lagos on 17th of March, 2020.”

The patient’s death brings the total number of coronavirus deaths in Lagos State to three.

Lagos State has 130 cases of coronavirus out of the 254 in the entire country. Thirty-two patients in Lagos have been discharged after recovering from the virus and 93 still undergoing treatment.

Nigeria’s capital city Abuja has the second-highest cases in the country with 50 patients.

Osun has 20 cases of coronavirus. Oyo and Edo State has 11 cases each. Bauchi has six coronavirus patients. Akwa Ibom and Kaduna State have five cases each. Ogun State has four cases.

Enugu, Kwara, Rivers and Ekiti State have two cases each. Benue, Delta, Katsina and Ondo State have one case of coronavirus each.

*️⃣Lagos recorded another #COVID19 related death; a 66 year old Briton🇬🇧 who travelled from India via Dubai to Lagos on 17th of March, 2020. This brings to 3, the total number of deaths from #COVID19 in Lagos State. pic.twitter.com/hnzShymsQz

— LSMOH (@LSMOH) April 8, 2020

The Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Mr Muhammad Babandede has directed the disinfection of all operational windows of the service where the public patronises it.

Babandede disclosed this in a statement by the Service Public Relations Officer, Mr Sunday James, on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said that the service was taking advantage of the lockdown and movement restriction to carry out this work.

The service had suspended operations at its passport offices and migrant e-registration centres nationwide in compliance government orders to curtail the further spread of the COVID-19.

“The service is taking this opportunity to appreciate all and sundry for their concern and prayers.

“We are assuring Nigerians that all passport and other service delivery units are doing their best to clear the backlog of applications submitted for passports.

“Including other NIS facilities before the government directive to enable a smooth resumption at the end of the period given by the government,” he said.

Babandede said that the State Comptrollers around the borders were busy monitoring the field officers for compliance and enforcement in line with a government directive.

The comptroller General added that this also guarantees harmonious habitation and living between the NIS operatives and border communities within this period.

He appreciated the conducts of the officers and men of the service in maintaining civility, peaceful co-existence while keeping the border safe at all the entry and exit points.

Babandede equally enjoined the operatives to stay safe, adhering to standard best medical advise always.

He advised the public to shun fraudsters that are bent on defrauding innocent Nigerians by creating fake portals for NIS facilities and services.

“All enquiries and complaints to be directed to the following helplines: 07080607900, 08119753844, 08147199908,’’ he said.

Men of Ogun State police command on the have arrested duo of Ayomide Joseph 19 years and Olajide Ajisomo 20 years for robbing two brothers at gunpoint.

The two suspects were arrested following a report lodged at Mowe police station by one Adegoke Sodipe who reported that while he was coming from Lagos with his brother, they were attacked at Ikugbonmire junction Mowe by three armed robbery suspects and they were dispossessed of their personal belongings which include: Infinix phone valued at #25,000, UBA ATM CARD, and So-safe corps identity card.

He stated further that they raised alarm which attracted passerby and one of the hoodlums was apprehended by members of the public.

Upon the report, the DPO Mowe division SP Marvis Jayeola quickly dispatched his detectives to the scene where the arrested member of the gang was handed over to the police.

Having taken possession of the suspect, the operatives embarked on an intelligent based investigation which led to the arrest of the second suspect.

A locally made double-barrel shotgun was recovered from them.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Kenneth Ebrimson has ordered that the suspects be transferred to Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) for discreet investigation.

He equally reiterated the readiness of the Command to clamp down on any would-be criminal within the State as the command will not allow any hoodlum to subject the good people of the state to any form of mental and psychological torture during and after this trying period.