•We’re investigating it —Oyo govt; as Osun govt reacts

•S’West govs to prosecute travel ban violators —Akeredolu

By Dayo Johnson, Deola Badru & Shina Abubakar

OSOGBO—THE Osun State Police Command, weekend, intercepted some persons transporting a corpse suspected to have died from COVID-19 complications from Oyo State into the state.

According to the police, the body was transported around 6:30 pm in a Mazda 323 salon car with registration number KFS 409 EH and was intercepted at Odo-Oba border point in Iwo local government area of the state.

Vanguard gathered that the driver of the car, in the company of others, was transporting a sick person from Ibadan into the state before they were stopped at Iwo border post and asked to return to Ibadan since the Osun State borders were closed to traffic.

The source added that some health officials further interrogated the occupants of the vehicle and discovered that one of them, who was coughing intermittently, was sick.

It was gathered that the sick man, one Yusuf Ishola, who was in the car throughout interrogation died in the car after coughing uncontrollably.

The security operatives, in conjunction with local government officials at the checkpoint, insisted that the vehicle returns to Ibadan in Oyo state.

The driver, one Ismaila Ademola, rather than return to Ibadan, decided to hide in a bush path waiting for the security operatives to leave the point.

Luck, however, ran out on them as the team also combed the bush path, discovered them and led them to Oyo State boundary town.

The team also ensured that it handed over the vehicle and its occupants to ASP Adebayo Michael at Iyana Offa in Oyo State.

Police confirm interception

Confirming the incident, spokesperson of Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola said the car was transporting a corpse in the company of others before it was intercepted at the border checkpoint.

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She said the vehicle was stopped because of the lockdown order in the state, while the driver directed to return to Oyo State because the medical team attached to the police point suspected that the deceased died of coronavirus.

We’re investigating case — Oyo govt

When contacted, the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bashir Bello, said the state government will investigate the case, saying he was yet to be fully briefed.

Bello said: “Right now, I can’t fully ascertain the genuineness of the report. I’m yet to be fully briefed. Once we have adequate information, we will make it public.

“I can tell you that the state government is working day and night to make sure it contains the spread of the virus. Governor Makinde has made it as a matter of compulsion, the use of facemasks.”

Osun govt reacts

Reacting to the incident, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan, said though some people were working to compromise government’s effort to curtail the spread of the virus, the state would not allow anyone to sabotage the war on the pandemic.

Omipidan said: “I was in Ila on Sunday to monitor the border community and I was impressed that the Police Area Commander ensured that inbound vehicles were turned back. All of this was to ensure that the virus is no longer imported into the state or aid community spread.”

S’West to prosecute travel ban violators — Akeredolu

Meanwhile, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, yesterday, said that the South West states will enforce a travel ban and prosecute any traveler that violates the ban.

Akeredolu, who is chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum, said: “All the six governors of Southwest states of Nigeria have adopted a joint additional protocol of control of the spread of the pandemic.

“These include the immediate closure of all the entry points of our six states, the compulsory wearing of face masks by everyone coming out of their homes, effective Friday 24th April 2020, that the people involved in essential services or dealing in medicine, water and consumable items, in particular traders and market men/women, should also wear nose masks while outside plying their trade.

“The six states are cooperating to make sure that inter-state trafficking of goods and human beings are halted to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

“In simple terms, individuals who violate or disobey the inter-state travel ban by attempting to cross the border of one state to the order in the South-Western part of Nigeria will be arrested and prosecuted.”

Vanguard