US returnees accuse NCDC of abandonment, threaten protest

Adelani Adepegba, Abuja

Nigerian returnees from the United States in quarantine in Abuja, have complained of alleged abandonment by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, stating that the agency had not reached out to them since they took samples for COVID-19 tests last Wednesday.

The 160 citizens who have spent 15 days in quarantine at their isolation facilities in Abuja, said they might protest if the NCDC and the Ministry of Health failed to release them by Monday (today).

The returnees, who included eight infants, were the first batch of Nigerians evacuated from the US and taken into isolation on May 10.

Speaking on behalf of the individuals, Dr Ibrahim Jatto, explained to The PUNCH on Sunday, that the people had threatened to protest if they did not hear from the NCDC.

Jatto in a chat with our correspondent further said the hotel management had asked them to check out on Monday (today), noting that they had no way of reaching out to the NCDC about their plight.

He said, “Today (Sunday), is our 15th day in quarantine and up till now, we have not heard anything from the NCDC; they have abandoned us. The last time we saw them was last Wednesday when they came for our samples. We don’t even know who to contact and the hotel management has no answers to our questions.

“People will start trouble because the hotel is saying we have to check out tomorrow (today).”

The spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ferdinand Nwonye, referred all inquiries to the NCDC, stating that it was their duty to transfer the positive cases to a treatment centre or give the returnees a clean bill of health.

The media aide to the NCDC Director-General, Emeka Oguanuo, promised to find out the status of the returnees from the appropriate department, but he had yet to respond to further calls and SMS as of the time of filing this report.

  Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: theeditor@punchng.com