COVID-19 doesn’t exist in Nigeria, says Mr Ibu

John Okafor, a comic actor better known as Mr Ibu, says Nigeria has nothing to do with the COVID-19 pandemic, describing the health crisis as a “devilish program”.

In a chat with The Nation, the 58-year-old comedian also called on the federal government not to exaggerate the situation, claiming Nigeria is impervious to the virus due to its warm weather.

“Nigeria, we are not supposed to be involved in COVID-19. I see no reason why we should. Only Nigerians in the diaspora will have to partake in this devilish program,” he was quoted to have said in English and Pidgin.

“We at home are oblivious, we are not supposed to be involved in any ceremony in trying to pretend or in trying to avoid. My brother, COVID-19, or 20 is not here. I don’t care.

“Why would China give us sickness and America embellish the technicality and then sell it to the world. People now begin to die when they know it’s killing. Thank God we have hot weather.

“The thing sef dey fear us. I no dey fear anything. I dey wear cloth waka on my own. Nothing dey here, nobody don die for this whole area. If you go another area, nobody don die.

“Go to stadium, nobody don die. Let’s be sorry for ourselves. I’m telling everybody not just the government. Say only what you know do not exaggerate it.

“Na we dey take our mouth call sickness by im own, sickness dey pass on its own but na we dey call am for Nigeria. You won’t see COVID-19 because it’s not here.”

As of when this report was filed, Nigeria has recorded over 33,000 cases of the respiratory disease, with more than 700 deaths.

When quizzed on the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country, Ibu retorted, asking if individual citizens personally know any victim beyond government figures.

“Have you ever attended any burial and they say na this thing kill am? have you ever gone to the hospital them say this person na COVID dey hold am?” Okafor asked.

“Have you ever seen a family, them say somebody na COVID na em kill am yesterday for family wey you know? You cannot, dem say dem say na im me and you dey hear. Even the sickness dey fear us.

“Are they not human beings, let them bring a picture of at least one person killed by COVID-19 and we find the family of such a person. Na small thing e remain hunger for don kill me since.”