The government of Osun Government has debunked a circulating report that the six patients that were tested positive for COVID-19 had escaped the state’s isolation centre in Ejigbo.
This report was debunked by Mr Ismail Omipidan, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Gboyega Oyetola. Mr Omipidan debunked this report during a telephone interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) today by classifying the report as a baseless fabrication.
According to him, the report that has been spreading around that six patients escaped from Ejigbo Isolation centre did not come from government.
He said: “There is nothing like that. The report is not true.
“The statement being circulated around is not from the state government because it was not signed by any government officials.”
He stated further that to prove that the report was fake, a ‘head count ‘ was done at the isolation centre in Ejigbo.
In the same vein, Osun state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode debunked the report in a statement today.
Egbemode made it known that only two people could not be accounted while the head count was carried out by a government official at the Isolation centre in Ejigbo.
She said: “Our attention has been drawn to a story purporting that six persons were missing from our Isolation centre in Ejigbo.
“One of the writers quoted a non-existent statement from the government to lend some measure of credibility to the story.
“Nothing can be further from the truth. As a government, we have not issued any statement to confirm or deny such story.
“Besides, a quick check showed that the name and number of the first person on the list of the purported missing patients, is indeed currently in our facility in Ejigbo.
“This morning we embarked on a headcount and found out that only two persons could not be accounted for by officials stationed at the Isolation centre out of the 127 persons.
“The state government is currently investigating the matter and will ensure that the two missing persons are brought back to the Isolation centre and we will also ensure we trace all their contacts.
“We want to reiterate that any official(s) found culpable will also be dealt with accordingly.
“We implore members of the public to discountenance the alarm being raised. We will continue to do everything to protect the lives of our citizens in this fight against Coronavirus.”
