BREAKING: Another suspected coronavirus case identified, quarantined in Benue

A suspected case of coronavirus has reportedly been identified and isolated in Lessel, headquarters of Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State.

The suspect hailed from Mbayegh Council Ward in Ushongo town.

It was learnt that all family members of the suspect have also been isolated in a separate place.

President-General of the Tiv Youth Organisation (TYO), Comrade Timothy Hembaor, who raised the alarm of fresh the case, said when he got wind of the case, he swiftly drew the attention of the traditional ruler of the area, the Tor Kwande, Chief Ambrose Iortyer who moved into action and isolated the suspect, while efforts to reach out to Chairman of the State’s Response Team on COVID-19 who doubles as Deputy Governor, Engr. Benson Abounu and Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Sunday Ongbabo proved abortive as they neither answered their calls nor respond to telephone text messages.

Hembaor, who is also from Ushongo Local Government, said he: “Personally called all the people that are in the Covid-19 response team but unfortunately, none of them either picked or replied my text messages. All efforts to reach out to Ushongo local government chairman, Mr. Bem Agugu did not yield any fruitful results.

“Tor Kwande also personally called the Health Commissioner and Deputy Governor and none of them picked up their calls; neither did they respond to his text messages.

“The matter was reported to the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse who imnediately put a call to the Health Commissioner and Deputy Governor and again none of them answered.

“Left frustrated, Tor Tiv instructed the President General of Mdzough- U-Tiv to make sure that the team is aware of the case. But the same people also refused to pick his up calls.”

Comrade Hembaor said it was after Governor Samuel Ortom saw the message he wrote on his Facebook wall that he immediately called him that saved the situation.

He said a team of medical doctors from the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) Sunday collected samples of the suspect for testing in Abuja.