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Diasporia News of Monday, 25 May 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

NCDC abandoned us after evacuation from US, returnees allege

FILE: NCDC National Reference Laboratory for #COVID19 FILE: NCDC National Reference Laboratory for #COVID19

Nigerian returnees from the United States have alleged that the Nigeria Center for Disease Control - NCDC abandoned them after returning to the country.

The 150 returnees who have reportedly spent 15 days in quarantine at their isolation centres in Abuja said that the agency had not reached out to them since they took samples for COVID-19 tests last Wednesday.

As a result, they are set to embark on a protest if the NCDC and the Ministry of Health failed to release them by Monday (today).

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.

As of the time of this report, the media aide to the NCDC Director-General, Emeka Oguanuo, has not responded with updates on the returnees' status after contact.

Punch.