COVID-19: Reps seek immediate release of controversial Benue index case, Susan Okpe held in isolation for 50 days

The House of Representatives has called on the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) through the Federal Ministry of Health, to critically evaluate the case of one Mrs Susan Idoko Okpe, a Nigerian said to have been held in an isolation centre for over a month without showing any COVID-19 symptoms, asking that she be urgently released to go home.

The House also called on the NCDC to carry out quality contact tracing and encourage persons who are symptomatic to go for proper clinical evaluation and management with prompt release when they return to their premorbid state.

It also discouraged stigmatization, inhumane treatment and violation of human rights of Nigerians, including those suspected to be having covid-19 infection.

The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on matters of urgent public importance brought by Rep. Blessing Onyeche Onuh, from Benue.

Rep. Onuh in her presentation noted that “one Mrs. Susan Idoko-Okpe, Nee Lawani, a 56 year old woman who is an indigene of Benue State with a dual citizenship from the United Kingdom flew into the country for her mother‘s funeral on the 22nd of March this year, unfortunately got quarantined by the government for the Covid-19 Virus, an assertion backed up by discrepancies in the laboratory results”.

“Mrs. Susan idoko-Okpe. Nee Lawani had a long flight following her departure from the United Kingdom and must have had jet-lag, a common occurrence which necessitated her presentation to the Cottage hospital where she was primarily managed.

“Disturbed that the details of this Mrs. Susan ldoko-Okpe Nee Lawani is not consistent with that ‘of the lady who was referred from Benue State Teaching Hospital, Makurdi to Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital, Abuja.

“The personal information on the laboratory result from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) did not also tally with her personal details.

“Cognizant of the current situation in the country amid the global pandemic. COVID-19 is real but not a death sentence or a yardstick for discrimination and human rights infringement or violation and her case shouldn’t be different .It is worthy of note that the measures put in place by the govemment to tackle this disease is very laudable and cannot be over emphasized.

“Mrs Susan Idoko-Okpe Nee Lawani who is bereaved is beginning to deteriorate psychologically and already having suicidal thoughts. This is worsened by the fact that she has been in isolation for about fifty days without any form of treatment.

“It is imperative to stress further that the test result given to her was questionable as it didn‘t carry her information’s correctly (definitely not hers), while other results.

“The details of Mrs. Susan ldoko-Okpe Nee Lawani is not consistent with that ‘ of the lady who was referred from Benue State Teaching Hospital, Makurdi to Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital, Abuja, as they were given verbally. She has also been forced to take treatment for Covid-19 even in her asymptomatic state”, the motion stated.

Not debated, it was referred to the House ad-hoc committee on COVID-19 for further action.