Nigerian Army is preparing to forcibly transfer the sick to hospital and enforce curbs on movement to try to shield the country from the coronavirus, and is leasing equipment for “possible mass burial”, according to an army memo seen by Reuters. The memo from Army headquarters also outlines plans to protect government food storage from looters as Africa’s most populous nation braces for the illness to spread further in the country. “Following the rise and continuous spread in cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria, (Chief of Army Staff) has deemed it necessary for all to take protective measures…

Presidency has confirmed that the presidential villa in Abuja was on a partial lockdown. Presidential spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, who made the revelation when he spoke to State House correspondents in Abuja, yesterday, insisted that Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings were suspended indefinitely because more than 50 converge on the council chamber of the presidential villa on a weekly basis as against the restriction on large gatherings amid the coronvairus outbreak. “The council was suspended because of the size. You have over 50 people seated in the council chambers whenever the meeting holds and that is not advisable at a…

The World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund have urged all bilateral creditors to suspend debt payment from Nigeria and 75 other International Development Association (IDA) countries that request forbearance. IMF noted that the continued spread of the coronavirus pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa would adversely affect the region’s economic growth, with direct disruptions to people’s livelihoods, tighter financial conditions, reduced trade and investment as well as substantial decline in commodity prices. The Breton Woods institutions, which listed Nigeria as one of the IDA countries qualified to benefit from the debt relief for the poorest countries; in a joint statement issued…

The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus, Clarence House has announced. Prince Charles, 71, is displaying mild symptoms "but otherwise remains in good health", a spokesman said, adding that the Duchess of Cornwall, 72, has been tested but does not have the virus. Charles and Camilla are now self-isolating at Balmoral. Buckingham Palace said the Queen last saw her son, the heir to the throne, on 12 March, but was "in good health". The palace added that the Duke of Edinburgh was not present at that meeting, and that the Queen was now "following all the appropriate advice…