He also directed the management of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, to isolate doctors and any health official that participated in moving the man and his son to Abuja.

This followed an allegation that the Kabba Chief Imam, Sheikh Ahmad Ejibunu, and his son were taken to Abuja by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for a medical test after it was alleged that they were suffering from COVID-19.

Addressing journalists on Monday at the Government House, Lokoja, the governor pointed out that though the state did not believe in the allocated figures, he had to lock down the council, so that the COVID-19 committee could conduct checks and obtain samples for further examination.

Bello further noted that in the heat of the standoff with NCDC, the state woke up one morning to hear that NCDC had recorded two cases for Kogi, against the protocol and guidelines set out by the agency; hence the state set out to investigate the claim and here are our findings.

Kogi, as at today, is coronavirus-free, adding that the state would always take adequate measures to prevent the virus from entering the state.

He called on the people of Kabba/Bunu to cooperate with the committee so that adequate test could be carried out during the two weeks lockdown.

The state had accused NCDC of desperation to force a COVID-19 case on it; hence it violated its protocols.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Saka Audu, stated on Sunday that some individuals were declared COVID-19 positive, even before they were tested.

Reacting to last week’s declaration of two cases against the state, he noted, “One needs not to dig deeper to see the writing on the wall at how desperate NCDC is to nail Kogi with a COVID-19 case. There is no telling how low they are willing to stoop to do so.”