Former Vice President of Nigeria Atiku Abubakar has said that his son isolated himself upon his return from Switzerland.
He also denied reports that his son attended a couple of social gatherings since his arrival into the country.
Politics Nigeria had reported that Atiku had revealed on Monday that his son tested positive for coronavirus and had been admitted at Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital in Abuja.
However, after the announcement, reports emerged on Twitter that Atiku’s son attended Juma’at service and visited a popular club in Abuja upon his return to the country.
The reports added that he also attended the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally held in Ibadan last week and refused to isolate himself thereby endangering the lives of other Nigerians with his “actions”.
In a series of tweets on Monday night, media aide to the former vice president, Paul Ibe, denied the allegations and shed more light on the movement of Atiku’s son after he returned from Switzerland.
He described the allegations as a false narrative and advised Nigerians to disregard the ‘perfidious information that Atiku’s son accessed open location.
According to Ibe, since the patient’s arrival from abroad, he only attended a private meeting of six persons upon his arrival and wore a face mask as a precautionary measure.
He added that the patient voluntarily called the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to be tested and inform them about the development.
Ibe said the patient subsequently went into self-isolation to protect his family within the house when his test came back positive.
“For the purpose of putting the records straight and dispelling false narratives about the itinerary of a son of H.E @atiku currently undergoing treatment for Corona Virus (COVID-19) infection, I wish to make the following clarifications,” he tweeted.
“The clinical case returned to the country on 17th March via Switzerland from some business engagements in France and Switzerland.
“He attended a private meeting of six (6) persons same day in Lagos, stayed in his private house for the night and took an Aero 5.20pm flight to Abuja on the 18th.
“The case did not travel with his family or any other but travelled alone by Emirates Airline. The case wore face mask as a precautionary measure since his arrival in Nigeria.
“The case did not show symptoms of infection and voluntarily placed a call to NCDC on arrival in Abuja late on the 18th to inform them he had returned from COVID-19 prone country and desired to be tested.
“On the 19th, NCDC took his blood sample which result came positive on the 20th. He subsequently went into self-isolation to protect his family within his own house.
“Meantime his son has since tested negative while his wife’s result is being awaited. The two persons are currently in self-isolation.
“We urge members of the public to disregard the perfidious information that the case accessed open location. He was not at Play Lounge nor any other club in Abuja as being mischievously bandied about.
“The case neither attended the Friday Juma’t prayers nor any social gathering until his evacuation to Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital on the 20th where he is being treated and managed.”
