The Lagos State Government has sent no fewer than 67 persons, who wanted to enter the country through the Seme border, into quarantine.
It was gathered that security agencies at the border town on Sunday, April 5, 2020, detained the 67 persons, who were coming from Togo.
It was learned that the security agencies handed over the 67 persons to the Lagos State Government, which had put them in 14 days quarantine.
A top security source at the Seme border said the 67 persons, who were mostly Nigerians, attempted to enter the country on Sunday despite the closure of land borders.
It was gathered that samples of the 67 peoples would be taken for the COVID-19 test and that they would be quarantined in Badagry for 14 days.
The security source, who spoke to The PUNCH, said, “The Lagos State Government has already got some hotel accommodation around Badagry. These people will be housed in hotels, which have no other guests. Their samples will be taken and they will be tested. They will be in quarantine for 14 days.
“Before the end of the 14 days, another test will be conducted on them. After 14 days, if they test negative for the virus, they will be allowed to go to their different destinations in the country. Anyone of them that tests positive will be moved to the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba for treatment.”
Sunday James, the public relations officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service, said the service had no information that 67 persons were stopped at Seme border from entering Lagos
James, in an interview with journalists, said, “There is nothing like that. I have contacted my office at the Seme border and he said there was nothing like that. I have called the controller at Seme border and he said there was nothing like that.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had in a nationwide broadcast on March 29, ordered the complete closure of land borders to human and vehicular traffic.
He ordered the lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states for 14 days. According to him, the country’s airports, which were earlier shut, should remain closed.
On Monday, April 6, 2020, the minister of health, Osagie Ehanire, defended the Federal Government’s decision to bring 18 Chinese doctors into the country.
Ehanaire, at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 press conference in Abuja, said Chinese doctors would come into the country despite the opposition of the Nigerian Medical Association.
The minister had on Friday said the Chinese team would come on board a Nigeria Air Force aircraft.
While objecting the plan, the NMA said the plan was demeaning to Nigerian health workers who had been in the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 in the country.
On his part, the Lagos State commissioner for health, Akin Abayomi, said the state was still tracing 2,293 people who might have had contact with persons tested for COVID-19.
He said, “We have 2,645 passengers of interest that we are tracing, 352 of them have completed their 14-days isolation and we are still following up 2,293. In the next few days, most of these will exit their 14 days isolation.”
Abayomi added that about 80 percent of those calling the dedicated hotline for COVID-19 were not serious callers.
