By Wole Mosadomi, Minna

A Commercial Driver who has tested positive to the pandemic COVID-19 has escaped from the Isolation Centre in Bida, Niger State and now on the run.

Niger State Commissioner of Health and Hospital services, Dr Mohammed Makunsidi has, therefore, declared him wanted and that a special team has been raised by the government to fetch him out.

The Commissioner said the man at large escaped from isolation centre where he was being managed in Bida town from where he escaped.

“We are surprised that he escaped and how he escaped from the Isolation Centre is still a misery to us but manhunt for the man has intensified,” he declared.

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Addressing Journalists in Minna yesterday, Makunsidi said, “we heard of the arrival of a Driver that is said to have tested positive to coronavirus who was being managed at an Isolation Centre. “We heard that he escaped into Bida, so we are after him now. Members of the state Taskforce on COVID-19 and officials of the ministry of health and hospital services are in Bida area of the state to locate him and make sure he does what the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has asked him to do”, he further explained.

The Commissioner said that two other persons who arrived Kontagora town, headquarters of Kontagora Local Government Area of the State from United Kingdom (UK) and Canada have been quarantined where he said they are undergoing medical tests on the virus because they are from areas of presumed areas of infection.

He also revealed that another man from Kagara town, headquarters of Rafi Local Government Area of the state has also been taken to Isolation Centre in Minna due to outcry from his community that he may have come in contact with Chinese Nationals working at the Zungeru Hydro Electricity plant.

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The foreigner in question was said not to have even travelled out of the Community for over a year but the people they remained unconvinced.

Dr Makunsidi explained that the man is having fever and sore throat which he said led to the apprehension and suspicion by the Community,

“Ordinarily, this does not fit into test definition but never the less, because of the outcry of the community, we have to take out the man into our isolation Centre in Minna General Hospital and we are going to test him for coronavirus in order to clear the air,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the Niger State Government has earmarked the sum of N375m to tackle the pandemic disease and to serve as palliatives for the people.

The money according to the Secretary to the State Government who is also Chairman of the Task Force on the Coronavirus, Alhaji Ibrahim Matane said the money will be used to purchase foodstuffs like maize, millet, rice and others and distributed Ward to Ward across the state.

Vanguard