Chief Raymond Dokpesi, founder of DAAR Communications, his daughter-in-law and six members of his family have tested positive for coronavirus.
This comes three days after his son and Chairman of the board of the company, Raymond Dokpesi Jnr, tested positive for the virus.
A test conducted by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on the Dokpesi family came out positive for the eight members of the family.
It stated that other affected family members were, on Friday, conveyed by the NCDC to the isolation centre at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, where his son was receiving treatment.
It was gathered that the media mogul, who spoke to journalists shortly after the arrival of the ambulance, said, “I am quite okay, I feel very well.”
Dokpesi Jnr had tested positive for COVID-19 after symptoms, which he said were similar to malaria.
However, after persistent bouts of cough, he was said to have contacted the NCDC, which confirmed he had the infectious virus.
Contact tracing immediately commenced with his family members. The test was later extended to senior management and members of staff who had been in close contact with the company’s index case.
The health authorities in the Federal Capital Territory had also carried out an immediate fumigation of the entire DAAR Headquarters building on Kpaduma hills in the Asokoro District of Abuja.
A statement issued on Friday by the management of the media organisation said the decision followed “the test carried out on our Chairman, Chief Raymond Dokpesi Jnr, on Thursday April 23, 2020, by the National Centre for Disease Control, which eventually proved positive.”
The statement added, “High Chief Aleogho Dokpesi (His Father/Founder, DAAR Communications PLC), our chairman’s wife, his three children and some relatives, a total of eight, are all presently on their way to the Federal Government isolation centre at Gwagwalada in Abuja.
“The Board, Management and the entire staff wish them the grace of the good Lord for speedy recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
