The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, on Monday, March 30th, 2020, confirmed that Nigeria has recorded its second coronavirus death, after cases in the country increased to one hundred and eleven (111).

He clarified that the fatality was recorded over the weekend.

He said,

As of today, the 30th of March, 2020, we have recorded 111 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria. Of which 68 are in Lagos, 21 in the FCT, seven in Oyo, three in Ogun, two in Bauchi, two in Edo, two in Osun, two in Enugu, and one each in Benue, Ekiti, Kaduna and Rivers States.

The majority of them are persons who came from overseas and the others have been traced as close contacts of such returnees.

Till date, three persons have been discharged after successful treatment. But sadly, another fatality was recorded over the weekend in the person of a patient who had severe underlying illnesses.

We have intensified contact tracing and our strategy remains to promptly detect cases, isolate them, and follow up with their contacts and also isolate and treat, in order to reduce the spread of the infection.

With this second death, a former Managing Director of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, Suleiman Achimugu, became the first Nigerian citizen to die of coronavirus disease.

The 67-year-old engineer, showed symptoms of coronavirus infection, after returning from the United Kingdom, and died on March 23rd, 2020.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.