Despite the lockdown and the ban on inter-state travel, a 28-year-old woman (names withheld) has been able to smuggle her husband’ dead body from Lagos to Enugu for burial.
This is still a mystery the Enugu state government is yet to unravel, considering the many security check points on the road from Lagos to Enugu.
The Enugu state government expressed shock over this development while giving update on the number of the Covid-19 patients in the state, on Monday night.
The statement which was signed by the Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Obi Emmanuel, revealed that the woman has now been tested and discovered that she is Covid-19 positive.
According to him: “Case 15 is a 28-year-old female and a widow who hails from Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area, Enugu State and lives in Lagos State with her husband.
“She recently lost her husband in Lagos and was able to smuggle her husband’s corpse back to Enugu State for burial, despite the lockdown in Lagos State and the national ban on inter-state movement.
“Her actions raised suspicion and the health authorities were alerted. She was subsequently tested and her result came back positive”.
The Commissioner, however, announced that Enugu State has recorded three new confirmed cases of Covid-19.
This, he said, has raised the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the state to 15, with nine active cases, while six patients have been discharged after testing negative.
“The Enugu State Ministry of Health wishes to announce that 2 more cases out of the previously active COVID-19 cases undergoing treatment in Enugu State have tested negative and are being assessed for discharge from the isolation and treatment centre.
“However, the State has unfortunately received 3 new results of persons who have tested positive for the virus.
“This means that Enugu State has had 15 cases in all, with 9 active cases and 6 cases discharged after testing negative.
“The two cases that have tested negative are case number 5 and her daughter who is case number 9,” the Commissioner said.
The three new confirmed cases, Prof. Emmanuel revealed, are people who entered the state illegally amidst the ban on inter-state transportation.
He explained that: “Case 13 is a 25-year-old man from Ondo State who lives in Lagos and made his way first to Akwa Ibom, then to Rivers State and finally to Obollo Afor in Udenu LGA of Enugu State. All within the lockdown period where state borders are said to be closed.
“He developed symptoms while at Obollo Afor, the health authorities were alerted, he was tested and his result came out positive.
“Case 14 is a 38- year- old male from Okpuje in Nsukka LGA, who lives in Nassarawa State, and found his way back to Enugu State during the same period of lockdown.
“On suspecting he may have contacted the virus, he initially went into self-quarantine in a hotel at Nsukka and subsequently developed symptoms and alerted the health authorities. He was tested and his test result also came back positive”.
