The viral video of a woman who accused the federal government of detaining her against her will because she was told she tested for COVID-19 has been responded to by the Minister of health. The woman known as Mrs. Okpe is said to be Benue state’s first coronavirus patient, but in the video, she disagreed that she has the virus or tested positive for COVID-19.
She made a shocking statement in the video which has gotten everyone’s attention or has put a question in the mind of Nigerians, is the virus real in Nigeria or not?
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In the video she said;
“Hi, everybody, this is Susan Idoko Okpe, née Lawani. I am pleading with everybody to please tell the Nigerian government to let me go.
This is my 16th day of incarceration. What have I done, what have I done? Benue state lied on me that I have COVID-19. I just got the result yesterday after 15 days and the result is a stage play with different date birthdays, different recordings which they themselves know and trying to put right.”
The Minister of health, Osagie Ehanire has responded to the video saying it isn’t true, that Mrs. Okpe has tested positive twice for COVID-19 but has refused to accept the facts in a press conference held in Abuja to address the issue.
The minister said in a statement at the press briefing;
“Efforts are being made to carry out the third test on her and if the test comes back negative, she would be discharged.”
This is a person who came from aboard and was heading to Benue and was feeling unwell. She was taken to a hospital and tested positive and placed in isolation in Benue State.
I had said before that some people who are infected with coronavirus can have no symptoms, mild or very serious symptoms but even without symptoms they can be infectious.
This person recovered from the symptoms and began to doubt the test she had undergone. Something led the authorities there to call me and the first complaint was that she was not comfortable where she was kept so we now arranged for her transfer to a more comfortable facility and requested a second test and it came back positive.
But in the meantime she feels very well, we are planning a third test. This is a case where people feel they are very well and wonder why you are keeping them in isolation, so we tried to engage this individual through her family and her pastor. The bottom line is she is positive but doubts the result and said it is fake.”
