The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed as an ordinary rumour the report that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, had tested positive for COVID-19.
The CJN, who was absent at the inauguration of 72 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria held in Abuja on Tuesday, was reported to have contracted the virus and receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In Justice Mohammed’s absence, the event was presided over by the highest-ranked Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour.
The Director of Information at the apex court, Dr. Festus Akande, who reacted to the claim in a statement, said no medical report has been made available indicating that Justice Mohammed had tested positive for COVID-19.
The spokesman had in an earlier statement dismissed a report that the CJN was critically sick.
He said: “In furtherance to the press statement earlier issued, I wish to state categorically clear that there is no medical report so far made available by anybody indicating that the Hon. CJN has tested positive for covid-19.
“Those peddling the rumour should go a step further to confirm from their sources and equally obtain the copy of whatever laboratory test result they are relying on.
“As of this moment of issuing this statement, no one has so far shown me or any other person in Supreme Court a copy of the test result they are referring to in the report.”
A justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, had said at the event that the CJN tested positive for the virus during the commissioning of the Muslim Lawyers’ Association of Nigeria headquarters in Abuja.
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