A coronavirus patient attempted to run away from where he was undergoing treatment at the Infectious Disease Control Centre, Down Quarters, Kaduna South. He was however caught before he made it far from the building.
In a statement released by the Media Assistant to the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ekunola Gbenga, the absconding patient was said to have engaged the NCDC officers on duty in fisticuffs.
In the course of the fight, the patient was said to have grabbed the entrance key to the isolation centre but did not succeed.
The statement read, “It has emerged that a COVID-19 positive patient attempted to escape from isolation centre in Kaduna without authorisation.
The patient was said to want to go for morning prayers and resorted to violence when he was refused.
“The suspected COVlD-l9 patient tried to leave the Centre for morning prayers without the permission of doctors.
“A confrontation ensued between our personnel and the patient who forcefully picked the keys of the gate of the Center and tried to open the gate to escape.
“The patient was arrested by Corps Assistant Joshua Philip who was among the officers on duty at the isolation centre.
“The COVID-19 index is said to have engaged the Civil Defence Officer Joshua Philip in serious fracas after he stopped him from leaving his quarantine ward at the isolation centre. This exposed the officer to the patient of the COVID-19.
“The keys were disinfected, despite that, the doctor gave the personnel some drugs; he was instructed to self-isolate for two weeks and to call the Center if he develops any symptoms.
“The Corps had since strengthened its security measures in the internal isolation centre.”
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, six of the 407 confirmed coronavirus cases in the country were recorded in Kaduna.