The missing suspected coronavirus patient in Abia has been found and placed in an isolation centre in the state, the government said on Saturday.
Abia government had on April 17 declared the suspected infected person wanted.
Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi-Kalu, in a statement said health officials at the isolation facility had collected samples from the suspected coronavirus case and dispatched the samples to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for testing.
He said the Abia State COVID-19 Medical Rapid Response (RR) Team received information from NCDC national control room on the suspected COVID-19 patient named Vincent Prosper.
“He called from Abia State to report that he had symptoms of COVID-19 and recently had contacts with a confirmed patient in Akwa Ibom as well as recently returned from Lagos.
“Our team called and asked the individual to isolate himself pending the team’s arrival to take samples for testing. On arrival at the given location, he disappeared.
“We continued to look for him and at some point got him again on the phone and he gave us a wrong address at Azikiwe Road, Aba and a team was immediately dispatched to the location but did not find him there.
“Last night, the security agency identified his location. This morning our Rapid Response team stormed the location with security agents and took him into custody at our isolation facility at Amachara,” Okiyi-Kalu said.
He added that the suspected coronavirus case was cooperating and had given all necessary information, including the disclosure that he recently returned from Lagos, but did not visit Akwa Ibom.
“Since his return, he has been residing in a community on the border between Abia and Akwa Ibom.
“Also, that his real name is not Vincent Prosper and he actually made the call to NCDC control room,” the commissioner said.
Okiyi-Kalu urged the people of Abia to be calm, adding that COVID-19 was not a death sentence.
He called on the people to desist from stigmatising anyone because of the disease.
He appealed to residents to make themselves available to relevant authorities whenever they start showing symptoms of the disease.
