For over a decade, Nigeria’s Northeast have been plagued by insurgency with thousands dead while others who survived, were rendered homeless.
The dreaded Boko Haram/ISWAP wreaked the havoc in this region. With the arrival of coronavirus, however, inhabitants now have two enemies.
Adamawa State has followed Borno to register a coronavirus case.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri announced on Wednesday that the state has recorded its index case; a Kano returnee who had earlier submitted to self-isolation.
Out of three suspected cases, the governor revealed that one tested positive.
“With this, Adamawa State is now formally on the COVID-19 map. The index case is a returnee from Kano sometime last week,” he said.
This means the coronavirus has now circulated to 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Perhaps sensing imminent danger, the state government had on Tuesday, attributed its zero infection to sheer luck, especially after neighbours, Borno recorded two in a day.
“We thank God we have not had any cause to isolate anybody up till today,” Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Engineer Ahmed Bashir, who doubles as the chairman COVID-19 containment committee said.
“It is sheer luck that we have come this far without any case.
“We went to Lafia border on Friday to arrange a quarantine centre there. On our way to Numan, we found buses full of men entering the state and we wondered ‘how come people still entered, knowing that the borders ought to be closed.’”
It appears as though Bashir’s red flag came a little too late as the first case comes barely 24 hours after.
Similar to Borno, Adamawa has been ravaged by a decade-long insurgency by the Boko Haram jihadist group that has forced thousands away people from their homes.
Fintiri and the Adamawa government would have to be at their best to avoid the Borno scenario where cases jumped to eight in 48 hours.
Else they may just be caught in the middle of a supremacy battle between Boko Haram and COVID-19.
