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No, Nigeria’s veteran broadcaster Bisi Olatilo not dead

Nigeria hasn’t been spared the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number of daily new cases and the mortality rate increasing in December 2020 and January 2021. 

According to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, on 14 January Nigeria recorded 1,479 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 105,478 and 1,405 deaths. 

Several famous Nigerians have succumbed to Covid-19, including popular Nigerian businessman Bolu Akin-Olugbade. He died on 13 January at one of the isolation centres in the country’s largest city, Lagos.  

Shortly after Akin-Olugbade’s death was confirmed, rumours started flying on social media that veteran Nigerian broadcaster Bisi Olatilo had also died from the virus. 

Did Nigeria really lose two legends in short succession to Covid-19? We checked.

bisi

Olatilo hospitalised for Covid-19, not dead

On 13 January Olatilo appeared in a video to debunk the claims of his death.

Speaking from hospital, he confirmed he was receiving treatment for Covid-19, and thanked his wife and the doctors looking after him.

Many news outlets in Nigeria reported on the video. Any reports of the broadcaster’s demise are false.

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