Over 2,000 Nigerians barred from traveling abroad after failing to pass the COVID-19 test

For evading the Coronavirus Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test at the country’s international airports, the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 has banned over 2,000 Nigerians and foreigners from traveling abroad and into the country for a year.

Mukhtar Muhammad, the Presidential Steering Committee’s (PSC) National Incident Manager, revealed this at the PSC’s Monday briefing in Abuja.

Mr Muhammad stated that the names of over 2,000 citizens and foreigners were pasted at all major federal medical facilities where medical experts were assigned to provide care to Nigerians and foreigners who entered the country during the COVID-19 third wave.

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He claimed that the government had insisted that passengers arriving in the country, particularly from high-risk countries, be quarantined in a government-run facility, and that those who did not follow the protocol had their passports revoked for a year.

“We included the provision of quarantine for passengers arriving from high-risk countries, and those who disobeyed these protocols were sanctioned by having their names published and their passports suspended for a year.

“Let me assure you that we have published the names of more than 2,000 people who have evaded quarantine in our health facilities so far. And we’ve gone ahead and suspended their passports, so there are consequences for every action,” he said.

The PSC issued a Travel Advisory for Passengers Arriving in Nigeria from Brazil, India, or Turkey on May 1, 2021.

According to the chairman, Boss Mustapha, precautionary measures were necessary to reduce the risk of importation of concern variants and breaking the chain of transmission to the population.

Passengers arriving from/or visiting any of these three countries within fourteen (14) days of their visit to Nigeria were required to adhere to mandatory arrival quarantine and testing protocols in designated facilities under the measures.

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However, according to various findings, many passengers failed to comply with the mandatory isolation or show up for the PCR repeat test on day seven.

Defaulters’ names and passport numbers had previously been made public by the PSC.