An official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Edward Manger, who recently returned from Kano has been confirmed the second case of the novel coronavirus disease in Benue State, Punch Metro reports.

The second case is coming about six weeks after the index case was confirmed by the NCDC and announced by the governor.

The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, announced the new case at a news conference at the Government House, Makurdi, on Tuesday.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had announced that Benue State recorded another case of coronavirus on Monday.

Ortom, while speaking to journalists, disclosed that the victim returned from Kano   towards the end of April 2020 and was immediately traced by the state action committee on COVID-19 and his sample taken to the NCDC in Abuja for testing.

He said when the result returned positive, the official had been taken to the state isolation centre at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.

He said the committee  had contacted his family members and embarked on contact tracing of all those who might have had contact with him upon his arrival.

Ortom explained that the essence of disclosing the name of the victim was not to ridicule him but for the interest of all those who might have had  close contact with him to be able to come out and have themselves checked for the dreaded disease early.

He added, “It is unfortunate that I stand before you this morning to announce to you and Benue people that another case of COVID-19 has come to the state. His name is Edward Manger. He is an indigene of Benue but worked with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency,  Kano State Command.

“Manger came to Makurdi towards April ending and was immediately traced, quarantined and his sample taken to Abuja for test but when the result came out, he tested positive.”