Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has arrested two pilots of Caverton Helicopters who flew expatriate passengers into the oil-bearing state without involving officials of the state government in testing them for COVID-19.
They were immediately arraigned before a Magistrate Court and charged for breaching extant rules and regulations of the state.
The pilots were later remanded at Port Harcourt Prison till May 19, 2020 when the case is fixed for hearing
Wike, who confirmed the arrest on Tuesday at the office of Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr Mustapha Dandaura, in Port Harcourt, said he was ready to testify against the pilots in court “for flying expatriate passengers into Port Harcourt Airforce Base without informing us and getting normal clearance”.
He said the pilots should have involved the state government in the testing and approval of the coronavirus status of the expatriates.
Dandaura also confirmed the arrest of the pilot and co-pilot.
According to him, the command arrested the pilots, who allegedly violated the regulations regarding the restriction order, to curb the spread of Novel COVID-19.
He said: “Recall that when this coronavirus issues started, there was ban of local flight from coming into the state. Since that time, we have been monitoring the activities of these private airlines.
“We received an intelligence report that an aircraft has landed at the Airforce base and that it was carrying some passengers.
“To our surprise this morning, this aircraft landed without any signal or permission from the authorities. We don’t know their mission here.
“Maybe they are coming here to sabotage the activities of the state and the security agencies that are putting efforts on ground to ensure that Rivers State enjoy peaceful atmosphere throughout this pandemic period.
“We have apprehended the Pilot and the Co-pilot. The Governor had given an order that on no account should any aircraft land on Rivers State without clearance.
“We don’t know the people they brought; whether they are positive or negative of Coronavirus; where are they heading to and where they came from .’’
He commended Wike for his commitment to the protection of the lives of people of Rivers.
The Executive Order signed by the governor on March 19 suspended flights to the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Air Force Base and Bonny Airstrip beginning from March 26.
The Executive Order signed by Wike is titled: Executive Order RVSG – 01 2020 Pursuant to Sections 2, 4 And 8 of Quarantine ACT, CAP. Q2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Regulation 11 of the Quarantine (CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) And Other Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 2020.
Wike expressed his willingness to set aside his immunity to testify against persons who violate the state’s border closure regulations aimed at preventing the spread of Coronavirus.
The governor said that the protection of Rivers people was an important assignment that must be executed with the seriousness it deserved.
He said: “I am willing to drop my immunity as a governor as far as this case is concerned. I am ready to be a prosecution witness.’’
He charged the police to prosecute the matter to its logical conclusion to serve as deterrent to those interested in violating the regulations of the state regarding the fight against Coronavirus.
“I want to say this is a serious matter to us and police should handle it seriously. That is why I am here at the state command.
“Nobody says that you can’t go to any state but now we are in a war situation. This Covid-19 is even worse than a conventional war.
“We want to know those people you brought in, so that we have to trace them to know their identity and status.
“Luckily, we have seen the pilot and the Co-pilot. They will assist the police in identifying them.’’
Wike reiterated that although the state government had no power to close airports, it has the right to check those coming into the state in order to ascertain their status.
“I have always said that we need the support of everybody. Nobody knows the status of those coming into Port Harcourt. Nobody knows whether they are positive or negative
“I have said before that I don’t have right to close the airport. But I have the right of saying don’t enter my state because we want to know your status,” he said.
He wondered why Carveton Helicopters decided to ‘cut corners’ when the State Government outlined the procedure for flying expatriates from Lagos into Rivers.
He also said that the company had written to intimate his administration on bringing people which he forwarded to Commissioner of Police to perform security checks and the health officials to perform their duties before allowing them.
Wike, who said that his administration was duty-bound to protect the people of Rivers from Coronavirus, confirmed the second case of Coronavirus in the state.
He said the person is 62 years old and recently returned from United Kingdom (UK) and entered the state through Lagos.
Wike also confirmed that the index case of the state had been discharged from the treatment/isolation centre in Eleme.
According to him, the positive index case of the virus we had, by the grace of God has been discharged.
“What we have now is another case of a 62-year-old person who came in from the UK and landed in Lagos and then moved to Port Harcourt,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, Caverton management has appealed to the Federal Government to prevail on Wike to release the pilots.
In Lagos, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 says only President Muhammadu Buhari can decide whether or not to extend the ongoing 14 days lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja.
The Task Force Chairman, Boss Mustapha, made this known while briefing newsmen on Tuesday, after inspection of some facilities put in place by the state government to contain the spread of Coronavirus.
Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said that part of the reason the committee visited Lagos was to assess to what extent the objective of the lockdown had been achieved.
He said that the committee would be making recommendations to the president based on its observations, after which the president would decide whether or not to extend the lockdown.
Mustapha said that the Federal Government would distribute 6,800 metric tons of grains in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, as part of the measures to cushion the effects of lockdown.
The task force chairman said that President Buhari had approved the release of 70,000 metric tons of grains from the strategic grains reserve for distribution.
According to him, approval for the release of the grains is in recognition of the impact of the lockdown order on the poor, physically challenged, the elderly and the vulnerable.
”Out of this, about 6,800 will be distributed in Lagos, Ogun and FCT, while the rest will be distributed to the 13 frontline states that have recorded cases of the COVID-19 disease.
”I assure you that the distribution of the Lagos State share will commence shortly.
”Let me state at this point that it is not the desire of government to punish its citizen by restricting their movement.
“But rather out of the abundance of caution, that difficult decision was taken to save lives by preventing spread of the virus.
”Reports have been received on the general level of satisfactory compliance in Lagos with the lockdown order and we have similarly received reports of violations.
”In this case, I commend the instant action taken by the Lagos State Government by prosecuting and convicting notable violators, which shows that nobody should be above the law,” he said.
According to him, COVID-19 pandemic is the most significant public health emergency of international concern, having recorded over a million cases, causing over 50,000 deaths worldwide.
He assured Nigerians of the unwavering commitment of President Buhari to the war against COVID-19 and his readiness to mobilise resources to achieve the national objectives.
“The nation is at war with an unseen, but very potent enemy, which all must collaborate to fight and defeat it.
”To successfully prosecute this war, we must own it, we must participate in it, we must create awareness, we must obey rules and regulations.
“We must stay at home when ordered, and we must not conceal any information from the medical personnel and disease control authorities.
”One person who is infected in a community can endanger the entire community, regardless of its size and status or position of the people living there. Coronavirus is real and dangerous.
”Let me appeal to Lagosians, indeed, all Nigerians to play our roles in defeating Coronavirus.
”To win the war, we must abide by instructions to stay-at-home, maintain social distancing, personal hygiene and report all suspected cases to the designated health authorities,” he said.
Speaking, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, commended the Presidential Task Force for coming to the state to inspect the facilities.
Sanwo-Olu said that efforts were being made to ensure that the COVID-19 pandemic was defeated.
