Nine indigenes of Sokoto State were, on Saturday, intercepted at the Oyo/Osun boundary around Asejire area by the Oyo State border patrol team.
The driver of the bus with registration number Sokoto WRN-49 XA, Mr Muhammed Idris, said that they all got tired of the two-week lockdown and were encouraged to embark on the journey when a returning indigene from Ibadan told them the interstate lockdown was not strict.
Giving an account of his journey from Sokoto, Idris said though their bus was stopped at different areas, they always found their way past security patrols.
He however said they encountered a major stoppage in Kebbi State where they were tested for coronavirus but were subsequently released to continue the journey after their result came back negative.
The Sokoto indigenes were, at the Gbagi police station, immediately subjected to COVID-19 screening and testing.
Governor Seyi Makinde who supervised the interrogation wondered why some Nigerians still flouted the interstate travel restriction imposed by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigeria Governors Forum.
While not ruling out the possibility of returning the nine arrested to their state of origin, Makinde said the state awaited their COVID-19 test results.
Pending the release of the test results, Makinde said the nine persons will be isolated in an Hausa community.
“First, they are not able to explain how they got here in the first instance. There is an interstate lockdown throughout the country and they claimed they came from Sokoto and they must have passed through so many states before getting here.
“We have taken their samples now, they cannot go anywhere now until they get the result and I have asked my Special Assistant on Arewa matters to talk to Seriki Shasha and then we will see if we can keep them in that community isolated until we have their result.
“I’m in discussion with the Governor of Sokoto State and once we get their test results, it is more than likely that we are going to return them to Sokoto,” Makinde said.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Buy and read digital replicas of your TRIBUNE titles by subscribing through E-VENDING
COVID-19: Dokpesi, Daughter-In-Law, Six Other Family Members Test Positive
The founder of DAAR Communications Plc, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi and his daughter-in-law along with six members of his family have tested positive for coronavirus. This is coming three days after his son and Chairman of the board of the company, Raymond Dokpesi Jnr, also tested positive for the virus… Read full story
Kano And The Mad Woman Of Omu-Ijelu
Not long ago, the funny character, who presides over the affairs of Kano State as the governor, Umar Ganduje, raised the alarm that the Federal Government had literarily abandoned the state in its quest to combat the rampaging Coronavirus epidemic… Read full story
Lagos Discharges Polish, Filipino, 24 Nigerians After Testing Negative For Coronavirus
Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday announced that 26 more patients have been discharged from isolation centres in the state having tested negative twice consecutively to coronavirus. He said those discharged included 14 males and 12 females, including two foreign nationals – a Polish and a Filipino… Read full story
WHO To Identify Animal Source Of COVID-19 ― Director-General
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, the Director-General, World Health Organisation (WHO), said the agency will work with relevant organisations to identify the animal source of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) based on Emergency Committee recommendations… Read full story
and then