Dino Melaye, former senator representing Kogi west, says the report of COVID-19 in Kogi state is “real and authentic”.

On Wednesday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced 389 new COVID-19 cases in the country and two were in Kogi.

But the state rejected the results, insisting it is COVID-19 free.

Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi commissioner for information, in an interview on Channel Television’s Politics Today, described the cases reported in the state as “beautiful fraud”.

But in a statement, Tai Ejibunu, obatebise of Oweland, had said the index patient identified as Ahmad Ejibunu, chief imam of Kabba, may have been infected from within the state.

Melaye in a statement on Saturday said he knows one of the COVID-19 patients from Kabba.

“I want to announce that the Covid-19 case in Kogi is real and authentic and cannot understand why any responsible government will want to deny and invariably kill her citizens,” he said.

“One of the cases is from Kabba and the victim is personally known to me. I cannot be part of those who will play politics with the lives of my people.

“COVID-19 is real but not a death sentence, if handled early enough. Family members of the Kabba victim who got a referral to Abuja from federal medical centre in Lokoja and all those who had contact with him should please surrender themselves for a test so as to curtail the spread.

“Kogi State government must come down from her imaginary high horse and start contact tracing to help curtail the spread. It is illogical to think we will be free with our proximity to affected states.

“God will hear our cry and heal our land. God bless Okun land! God bless Kogi west! God bless Kogi State.”