Aug. 24, 2021

The Lagos State Government has warned that erring inbound passengers violating the safety protocols instituted by the Federal and State Governments to curb the COVID-19 third wave in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria will be sanctioned.

Mr. Tubosun Ogunbanwo, Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Health, in a release issued over the weekend, stated that the COVID-19 third wave, being experienced in Lagos and around the country, is a direct result of the importation of cases from other countries where the pandemic is very active.

He said the Lagos State Government has observed a disturbing trend of false accusations by some defaulting international travellers about the implementation of COVID travel protocols, especially travellers from the RED listed Countries like South Africa, India, Brazil and Turkey.

According to him, “Of note is the case of Adesola Adeleke, who flew in from South Africa. She attempted to bypass the system established to safeguard our citizens and as a result, has put several innocent people at potential risk of contracting COVID-19”.

“Adesola Adeleke, originally arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) on the 25th of July 2021, alongside seven other passengers on Rwandan Airline in transit from South Africa at 1:30 pm. After the usual rigorous reconciliation of headcount at the Port Health Authority, it was discovered that six of the passengers, including Adeleke, could not be accounted for. Even though Adeleke had made the required payment for COVID tests and the mandatory isolation prior to leaving South Africa, she left the airport in Lagos knowing fully well that she was contravening the law and her passport was retained by the Nigerian Port Health Authority”.

“However, 10 days later, on the 5th of August 2021, the Medical Director of the Mainland Hospital (Infectious Disease Hospital), Yaba, Dr. Abimbola Bowale reported that Adeleke, who was now on an abscondee list, had returned because she could not retrieve her passport without fulfilling her obligation to quarantine at one of the designated hotels of her choice in Lagos.”

“Her payment was confirmed, and she was informed she had to continue her quarantine for the next seven days before being released. This information was communicated to her and she was also provided with a list of available isolation hotels. She selected an option for her isolation, which only caters for accommodation without feeding. This was brought to her attention that feeding would be a separate arrangement with the hotel”, he added.

Ogunbanwo noted that hotels that are utilised for the isolation of ‘Passengers of Interest’ (POIs) from the red-listed countries also accommodate other guests on the condition that entire floors are dedicated to isolating these passengers without mixing with other guests.

“Whilst it is partly the responsibility of the hotel to inform passengers of their need to stay within their rooms, it is the responsibility of the passengers in quarantine to adhere to the laid down protocols or face the consequences of the law if otherwise”, he said.

He said Adeleke’s day-two test was conducted on the 6th of August 2021 and the result came out negative, but her day seven test on the 14th was positive which required extension of her isolation, but she argued that she could not have been positive and requested a repeat test.

A new sample was taken by the Lagos State Government at no cost to Adeleke on the 16th of August 2021 and released on the 17th of August 2021. The repeat test returned positive.

“On the 17th of August, the hotel management called our attention to a man at the facility, claiming to be Adeleke’s father, attempting to forcibly take her away, irrespective of her status. The hotel was asked to allow her to leave as they were being violent and creating a scene. Since this incident, Adeleke has made sensational news to avoid being penalised for her actions due to the fact that she avoided initial isolation by absconding to Ibadan, despite being aware of the protocol and only returned to try and collect her passport”, the Director stated.

He submitted that following investigations and evidence produced, her claims are totally false, and she would be made to face the consequences of the Coronavirus Law of 2021 based on the allegations that have been levelled against her in a court of law.

In his words, “We make bold to say that we are not deterred by this frivolous campaign to ridicule the Federal and State public laws targeted to mitigate the third wave of infections and halt the spread of COVID-19, particularly because the deadly new strains have the potential to cause massive sickness and death”.

He averred that since the commencement of the isolation of passengers from the red listed countries, the Lagos State response team has successfully quarantined 4,448 passengers as of the 19th of August 2021 and identified 58 POIs who tested positive to the COVID-19 virus despite a negative test on arrival.

Pointing out that such incidents would have contributed to the ongoing third wave which has claimed over 500 deaths recorded at Lagos isolation centres, the Public Affairs Director maintained that the State Government remains committed to fully implementing all COVID-19 protocols without fear or favour.

“Severe sanctions await inbound travellers and passengers who flout the protocol of the Federal and State COVID pandemic law. Citizens need to realise that we are in the middle of a serious pandemic and that it is through shared responsibilities that we can overcome this pandemic. Residents are also encouraged to resist the urge of supporting passengers in defaulting the required protocols”, Ogunbanwo asserted.