Senate Orders Probe Into Reported COVID-19 Cases

The Senate has directed its Committee on Health to investigate recent reports of fresh COVID-19 cases in the country, following conflicting accounts from health authorities and state officials.

The directive was issued by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary, mandating the committee, chaired by Ipalibo Banigo, to verify the accuracy of the claims and present its findings by next Tuesday.

The move comes amid reports suggesting the emergence of 10 new COVID-19 cases in Cross River State. However, the state government has refuted the claim, maintaining that only a single confirmed case has been recorded.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Cross River State Ministry of Health had earlier confirmed one case of COVID-19 in April 2026, assuring the public that there is no evidence of widespread community transmission.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Records Fresh Case Of COVID-19 Years After Global Epidemic

According to health authorities, the confirmed case involves a 53-year-old Chinese expatriate who arrived in Nigeria on 17 March 2026 and later travelled to Calabar for work.

The individual reportedly developed symptoms on 10 April and tested positive on 17 April. He is currently in stable condition and receiving treatment at an isolation facility in Calabar.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Henry Ayuk, dismissed reports of multiple new infections.

He clarified that the confusion may have stemmed from the identification of 10 contacts linked to the confirmed case, which may have been misinterpreted as additional infections.