As anxiety mounts over the multiple deaths that reportedly occurred in Kano State in the last few days, the Federal Government has expressed doubts over the figures being reeled out.
Some reports said about 180 people had died in about three days in Kano, with ailments said to have been respiration-related, thus suggesting coronavirus.
But the Presidential Task Force on COVID 19 said on Tuesday night that the figures might not be factual.
This is even as the PTF said the state government had set up a team to investigate the increase in coronavirus cases in the state.
The PTF Coordinator, Dr Nuhu Aliyu, who said the task force had been working closely with the state authorities in Kano, noted, “There is a possibility that we will continue to have more cases coming in as we increase the number of tests.
“Over the weekend, we engaged directly with the state governor and, virtually, over the last two days, I have been talking to people in Kano to find out what is going on.
“It’s not very clear whether the reports we are getting are actually factual or not. But they (Kano State Government) have set up a team that will be investigating this further.
“In terms of what we are doing from the Abuja side, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made an on-the-spot assessment yesterday. He just left Kano today (Tuesday).”
Governor Abdullah Ganduje has called for help over the deaths, while the government has also stepped up surveillance and testing.
But noting that the FG had sent Rapid Response Teams to Kano, Aliyu said,
“The test centre in Kano started last week. We are also looking at opening more centres for taking samples so that we can increase the number of tests and also improve the efficiency of contact tracing.”
Ganduje, in a press statement, had said Kano needed additional testing centres, vehicles and protection kits.
“We need coordination. We need rapid responses and we need palliative.
“Kano is the third on the list of states with a high number of COVID-19 cases and is the most populated state in the federation. We, therefore, need financial support from the Federal Government,” he said.
