The Kogi state government has released an official statement rejecting the result which the NCDC released as regards the COVID-19 status of the state.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in an earlier report said the state recorded two new cases of coronavirus.

The state health commissioner, Saka Haruna Audu, in a statement said the state government has developed “full testing capacity” and “conducted hundreds of tests” which have come back negative.

He said, “Kogi State till this very moment is Covid-19 free.

“We have developed full testing capacity and have conducted hundreds of tests so far which have come back negative,” he said.

“We have also continued to insist that we will not be a party to any fictitious COVID-19 claims which is why we do not recognise any COVID-19 test conducted by any Kogite outside the boundaries of the State except those initiated by us.

“Any attempt to force us to announce a case of COVID-19 will be vehemently rejected.”

“We are more than prepared to secure the life of our people and have no interest in playing politics with their health concerns,” he said.