Self-acclaimed investigative journalist, Kemi Olunloyo, has warned residents of Imo state to practice self-isolation and social distancing, alleging that there are multiple Coronavirus suspected cases in the state.
Olunloyo stated this in a series of tweets via her official Twitter page on March 31.
In her first tweet regarding the issue, she posted that;
#BREAKING I am calling for the RESIGNATION of Governor @HE_HopeUzodimma and @NCDCgov DG @Chikwe_I ASAP with regards to leadership in the #COVID19 outbreak and Community spread in Nigeria. I have uncovered a BIG MESS! Lies, Fraud and Rhetoric. I will fight for the Imo people😠🇳🇬
— #DrKemiOlunloyo Pharm.D💊😷🇳🇬 (@KemiOlunloyo) March 31, 2020
She further tweeted that Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodimma ‘lied’ in his weekly address of residents that there are no cases of COVID-19 in the state.
Olunloyo added that from the time of the governor’s weekly address to the time director-general of Nigeria Centre of Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe visited President Buhari last week, there was allegedly a 2nd death case, who was an indigene of Imo state that visited his village.
#ijcovid19 Governor @HE_HopeUzodimma LIED in his weekly address that there were NO CASES of #COVID19 recorded in his state. Looking at the time of his weekly address and the time @Chikwe_I visited @MBuhari last week, the 2nd death was an indigine of Imo and visited his village pic.twitter.com/o3kyVffur2
— #DrKemiOlunloyo Pharm.D💊😷🇳🇬 (@KemiOlunloyo) March 31, 2020
According to Olunloyo, a family member of the 2nd death case revealed that he is a business who came back from one of Coronavirus high-risks countries in the world.
The alleged victim according to Olunloyo, is identified as Christogonus A. Osuagwu, who fell extremely ill on returning to Lagos but refused a Coronavirus test.
#ijcovid19 A family member of the 2nd recorded DEATH☠️⚰️says that he is a big businessman who just came back from the seriously infected parts of Europe, namely Italy, Spain and UK. Late Christogonus A. Osuagwu fell extremely ill on returning to Lagos & refused a #COVID19 test
— #DrKemiOlunloyo Pharm.D💊😷🇳🇬 (@KemiOlunloyo) March 31, 2020
The self-acclaimed journalist added that;
By the time Late Osuagwu arrived in Owerri village Mbaise, he had unknowingly infected his wife, kids, staff including his Fancy hotel business exposing guests to the virus. All the guests had to be quarantined, some on the premises. Driver also infected.
#ijcovid19 By the time Late Osuagwu arrived in Owerri village Mbaise, he had unknowingly infected his wife, kids, staff including his Fancy hotel business exposing guests to the virus. All the guests had to be QUARANTINED some on the premises. Driver also infected #COVID19 🇳🇬
— #DrKemiOlunloyo Pharm.D💊😷🇳🇬 (@KemiOlunloyo) March 31, 2020
Olunloyo went on to accuse Imo state Governor, Hope Uzodinma and DG of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe of exposing Imo state to Coronavirus by allowing the man travel from Lagos to Abuja without carrying out a Coronavirus test on him.
#ijcovid19 If we had a “Patrick Sawyer” situation here and I covered Ebola in detail under @GEJonathan‘s @NTANewsNow who gave me their platform. Why was the public not WARNED? @Chikwe_I COVERED IT UP with @HE_HopeUzodimma. They allowed Osuagwu to travel to Abuja infecting more
— #DrKemiOlunloyo Pharm.D💊😷🇳🇬 (@KemiOlunloyo) March 31, 2020
She also suggested that there are several cases in Imo state, stressing that;
#ijcovid19 Everybody went to visit this “abroad” jetsetter Businessman guy. Some may be asymptomatic, others showing symptoms, some Quarantined inside his hotel. Not a mention of IMO state in all the new cases @NCDCgov not @MBuhari‘s speech as a #LockDownNigeria state😠🇳🇬😷
— #DrKemiOlunloyo Pharm.D💊😷🇳🇬 (@KemiOlunloyo) March 31, 2020
While narrating how the alleged Imo state victim died, Olunloyo said that;
#ijcovid19 My source at the DSS said they went after him from Lagos to Abuja to force him into Quarantine. He was defiant and escaped them till he DIED. @NCDCgov REFUSED to say if he died in the Abuja Isolation hospital or Lagos. To avoid panic they did not list Imo #COVID19
— #DrKemiOlunloyo Pharm.D💊😷🇳🇬 (@KemiOlunloyo) March 31, 2020
Kemi Olunloyo in her tweets also called for an investigation into the death of a Nigerian paralympic gold medalist, Ndidi Nwosu, who died in Owerri, Imo state on Wednesday, April 1 of lung infection.
#BREAKING I want the Imo Health department to Investigate Ndidi’s death.Yes she had underlying health issues. She died in Owerri a state that may have harboured people with viral loads of #COVID19. I’ve been… https://t.co/Um5vtDe7rI
— #DrKemiOlunloyo Pharm.D💊😷🇳🇬 (@KemiOlunloyo) April 1, 2020
These allegations by Kemi Olunloyo are coming 4 days after Today Ng reported that there are three suspected cases of Coronavirus in Owerri, Imo state.
The state governor Hope Uzodinma had ordered the sealing of the Fancy Hotels Ltd located at Road 7, Imo Umuguma Housing in Owerri West.
Unconfirmed reports and rumours making rounds in the state capital indicated that a guest at the hotel had slumped and died of the suspected coronavirus, causing panic among the residents of Imo Housing Umuguma and its environs.
A member of the committee of the state COVID-19 response committee and the state chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr Kyrian Duruewuru, however, dispelled the rumours as “not true”.
Also regarding the rumoured claim of suspected Coronavirus in the state, Imo State Commissioner for Information, Hon Declan Emelumba, said that the governor had ordered the hotel sealed because the management had flouted the directives of the state government that all hotels in the state should take the temperature of all the guests who are coming to the hotel as well as to provide hand sanitizers.
He also dismissed the rumour that a guest of the hotel had died of the suspected coronavirus.
