Covid-19: Cote D’Ivoire returnee forced into self-isolation in Delta

 Paul Osuyi, Asaba

A middle-aged lady who came into Delta State, through the land border, has been forced into self-isolation for 14 days.

The lady was arrested in Udu area by security operatives who handed her over to health officials.

Also forced into self-isolation was a man she hired to drive her around town. Both of them will be monitored by health officials for the next 14 days.

Police Public Relations Officer, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, who confirmed the development in Asaba, yesterday, said: “A lady, who came in through the land borders from Cote D’Ivoire, was apprehended and handed over to the health officials.

“They asked for a certificate if she has been cleared from a test result and she had nothing to present, which made us to hand her over. This was at Udu area of the state.

“Also, a driver she chartered was handed over to the officials for tests.”

Onovwakpoyeya warned that any officer found extorting money from motorists and commuters to allow them into the state during the 14 days lockdown would be sanctioned.

She handed down the warning on the heels of reports of alleged compromise on the part of the police in Udu by handing over their duties to local vigilance members who reportedly collect toll to allow commercial operators move with normal full scale activities.

Onovwakpoyeya said the command was working on allegations of extortion against officers and men who were deployed to ensure strict compliance with the lockdown directive.

“We are having a lot of challenges in containing motorists. Before you know it, you will have a lot of people moving around with excuses. Even when they are held, they have one or two persons they will call for intervention.

“That is making the whole exercise difficult for officers. Even at that, we are trying our best. But that doesn’t give them the right to collect money from motorists and commuters because anyone caught would be dealt with decisively.

“We cannot be everywhere at the same time, even as we are monitoring and we appeal to residents to call in whenever they encounter such illegal activities so we can take necessary actions,” she said.