The relationship between the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Kogi State has further become strained.
The NCDC claimed on Wednesday that it had recorded two cases of coronavirus in Kogi, but the state government has said the announcement is a lie.
According to the Yahaya Bello administration, the state is still free of the pandemic.
In a statement released by the government on Thursday morning, signed by the Commissioner for Health, Saka Haruna Audu, it said the state government had developed “full testing capacity” and “conducted hundreds of tests” which have come back negative. The government says they would not be party to any ”fictitious COVID-19 claims”.
It added: “Kogi State till this very moment is Covid-19 free. We have developed full testing capacity and have conducted hundreds of tests so far which have come back negative.
“We have also continued to insist that we will not be a party to any fictitious COVID-19 claims which is why we do not recognise any COVID-19 test conducted by any Kogite outside the boundaries of the State except those initiated by us.
“Any attempt to force us to announce a case of COVID-19 will be vehemently rejected.”
