Court orders Sanwo Olu, Health Commissioner to release OOU lecturer, daughter’s passports to chief registrar

A Lagos State High Court, sitting in Ikeja, on Tuesday, ordered the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Health Commissioner, to release the seized international passport of an Ibadan-based lecturer of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, Dr Adesola Adeleke, and that of her daughter Adewumi, to the Chief Registrar of the Lagos State High Court within seven days.

Adesola, a Chemical Science lecturer of OOU who was recently tagged a Covid-19 positive carrier, had instituted a suit against Sanwo-Olu, his Commissioner for Health, Commissioner for Justice, the Lagos State Police Commissioner, and Dr Bowale (a Lagos Hospital Managing Director), for stigmatising her over a news report in a national daily, which declared her as COVID-19 positive.

In suit no  ID/11869MFHR/2021, the applicant, who was represented by an Ibadan-based lawyer, Dr Olutayo Oyewale, the lecturer had informed the court that she underwent Covid-19 test in South Africa where she obtained her doctorate degree at the University of Kwazulu, Pietermatitzburg campus, and was declared negative. 

Upon her arrival in Nigeria after paying the demanded N481,890.00, which was meant to book her in an hotel of her choice for 14 days and conduct another Covid 19 PCR test before she could be allowed to unite with her family and friends, her international passport, as well as that of her daughter, Adewumi Tiaramiyinoluwa Jean, were collected.

Personnel of the Reginal Michael Suites, Ikeja which she had booked on her portal said they did not have her record and that there was no directive from any quarters to pick her up. 

“I then became stranded and I put up a call to my father, Professor Adeleke, who made arrangements for me to return to my family house in Ibadan.

“On my arrival at my parents’ home in Ibadan, I further visited the approved NCDC Covid-19 test centre (Medical Aid) at Oluyole, Ibadan and further Covid-19 test was carried out on me on August 2, 2021, revealing that I was negative of Covid-19,” she said.

Upon her return to the airport in Lagos to retrieve her international passport and that of her daughter, she was directed to Dr Bowale (3rd respondent) who insisted she must undergo another seven days mandatory quarantine, “but instead of lodging me in the Reginal Michael Suites I booked with the mandatory N481,890.00, the government changed it to a substandard hotel known as Golden Destiny Hotel which is a very unhygienic mosquito-infested room and unsafe for my well being.

“I was forced to lodge in the hotel by armed men in a commando-like manner against my wish.

“The two Covid-19 results dated 11th August, 2021 and 16th August, 2021 wherein the respondents later claimed I tested positive is a show of shame and shows that they intend to stigmatise me as the face of the results described me as male; my address was not stated and my correct names were not on the said results,” the applicant claimed.

In her ruling following an ex-parte application filed and moved by Dr Oyewale, Justice L.A.F. Oluyemi of the High Court 27 of the Ikeja Division ordered the respondents, particularly the Health Commissioner and Dr Bowale of the OPD Mainland Hospital, Lagos State “to deposit the applicants’ international passports No.AO7745471 and that of her daughter, Adewumi Tiaramiyinoluwa Jean, No. AO9427630 with the Chief Registrar of the Lagos State High Court within seven days from today the 16th November, 2021, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice already served the respondents”.

The case was thereafter adjourned to January 19, 2022 “for hearing of the motion on notice already filed by the applicant against the respondents.”

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Lagos Is Second Least Liveable City In The World For 2021

Lagos is the second least liveable city in the world for the year 2021. This is according to the most recent annual ranking put together by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)…

FACT CHECK: Did UNICEF Say Blocking Children’s Access To Pornography Constitutes Human Rights’ Infringement?

CLAIM 1: A Twitter user claims UNICEF said any efforts to block children from accessing pornography might infringe their human rights.

VERDICT: MISLEADING!