Godwin Akwaji, the lawmaker representing Obudu constituency at the Cross River state House of Assembly, has died after showing symptoms of COVID-19.

He was said to have died at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) isolation centre around 12:30 pm on Thursday.

Godwin Akwaji, before his death was said to be diabetic, also exhibited fatigue, fever, cough and breathlessness.

A family source disclosed that the deceased had been treated for malaria and pneumonia with no improvement adding that some persons who visited the lawmaker at the hospital are already showing symptoms of COVID-19.

The speaker of the assembly, Eteng Jonas-Williams, who confirmed Mr Akwaji’s passing to reporters, Thursday night, said the lawmaker “was moved into the isolation centre today (Thursday) where he died”.

“They have taken sample and by tomorrow we should be able to know (if he died of COVID-19 or not),” Mr Jonas-Williams said.

Cross River is the only state in Nigeria where no case of COVID-19 has been confirmed.

While Governor Ben Ayade’s government has insisted that there is no record of COVID-19 in the state, the state branch of the Nigerian Medical Association has refuted the claims, saying that COVID-19 has been killing people in the state.

The group decried “the rising number of deaths from suspected cases in the state”, calling for action. It also called for caution in allowing resumption of worship services.

Anaedoonline.com reported that Nigeria has recorded 745 new cases of Coronavirs, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 18,480.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Thursday 18th June wrote:

“745 new cases of # COVID19Nigeria, The brake down of recorded cases are as follows:
Lagos-280. Oyo-103. Ebonyi-72. FCT-60. Imo-46. Edo-34. Delta-33. Rivers-25. Kaduna-23. Ondo-16. Katsina-12. Kano-10. Bauchi-8. Borno-7. Kwara-5. Gombe-4. Sokoto-2. Enugu-2. Yobe-1. Osun-1 and Nasarawa-1

18,480 confirmed. 6,307 discharged. 475 deaths”