Osun: Security agents capture escaped COVID-19 patient

•We Don’t Have Any Virus — Victims
Osun State officials manning the Coronavirus Isolation Centre in Ejigbo were, yesterday, thrown into confusion when some patients, who had tested positive allegedly escaped from the facility.

News had filtered that six Coronavirus positive patients escaped from the centre, despite heavy security presence. Their names and phone numbers were released in a statement that was not signed by any government official.

Meanwhile, a statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, claimed that only a patient was missing, after a headcount conducted on the 127 Ivory Coast returnees yesterday morning.

Egbemode said officials embarked on a manhunt for the escapee and a few hours after, the state government said the fleeing patient was arrested and returned to the centre.

The returnees, isolated in a secondary school facility in Ejigbo, had staged a protest against the government over the poor living condition they were subjected to.

Those who spoke with The Guardian alleged no sample was taken from them and that they didn’t test positive for the virus. They accused the government of taking advantage on their return from a neighbouring country to seek financial aid from the Federal Government and wealthy individuals.