The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 has declared 90 travellers ‘persons of interest’ for violating the protocol for passengers arriving Nigeria from restricted countries.
The PSC said it will sanction the travellers by disabling their passports for at least one year, while foreigners will have their visas/permits cancelled for abusing Nigeria’s hospitality; and prosecuted under the 2021 Health Protection Regulations.
It would be recalled that on May 1, 2021, the PSC issued a travel advisory for passengers arriving in Nigeria from Brazil, India and Turkey to mitigate the risk of importation of variants of concern and break the chain of transmission to the population.
The PSC in a public announcement containing the names and passport numbers of the violators and signed by its chairman, Boss Mustapha, said the affected travellers who arrived Nigeria from the selected countries have been mandated to report to the nearest government health facility within the next 48 hours.
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The committee explained that they arrived in Nigeria between May 8 and 15, 2021 through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The committee added the affected travellers evaded the mandatory 7-day quarantine for persons arriving from restricted countries, and therefore pose considerable danger to overall public health.
“Members of the public are by this notice advised that these persons of interest constitute an immediate health hazard to the society. They must therefore transport themselves safely, to the nearest state public health departments within 48 hours of this notice for immediate evaluation and call the Port Health Services, Federal Ministry of Health on 08036134672 or 08032461990 for further directions,” the statement read.
The PSC said it will publish an additional list of batch II defaulters in subsequent announcement.
