Zeenat El-Zakzaky, wife of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, never tested positive for COVID-19, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) says.
Acting controller-general of NCoS John Mrabure disclosed this in a statement by the service’s spokesman Francis Enobore on Monday.
El-Zakzaky’s wife was reported to have contracted the virus while in custody in Kaduna, prompting a call for her evacuation to an isolation centre in the state.
According to Mr Mrabure, although the order was later reversed. Not convinced with the purported infection story, the correctional service insisted on conducting COVID-19 test.
This, he said, was in collaboration with the state government, her personal physician and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control in the state.
“Happily, the test result has been released and the inmate, including her contacts have no trace of COVID-19 virus.
“It is important to state with emphasis that Zeenat El-Zakzaky never contracted COVID-19 infection as it was alleged,” he said.