Travellers found to be in possession of fake Covid-19 test results will be arrested and prosecuted. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says.
NCDC director-general Chikwe Ihekweazu made this known while addressing at the media briefing of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 earlier this week. He said that a verification platform has been launched to confirm results at the airports.
Ihekweazu emphasized that travellers who present fake COVID-19 results at the airports will be prosecuted, adding that tests conducted by private laboratories for travel purposes will now be verified by airlines, embassies and countries.
“Many of you would have heard my previous comments around the verification platform for test results for travellers. That verification platform is now live,” Ihekweazu said.
“Last week, many returning travellers were turned back and handed over to security agencies because they were trying to travel with fake lab results.
“Sometimes, these results were procured by agents. But to be honest, everyone has to take responsibility for the test results in your hand.
"From now on, all tests by a private lab for travel purposes will be verified by airlines, by embassies, and by countries."
Travellers are advised to spare themselves the inconvenience and embarrassment by doing the test in one of the accredited labs, which you can find on our website: https://covid19.ncdc.gov.ng/privatelabs/. No airline will accept a COVID-19 PCR test result carried out at a public laboratory from passengers for travel purposes.
Airlines are to use the COVID-19 PCR verification platform developed by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to confirm the authenticity of all PCR test results presented to them by the intending passengers before checking-in.
“Travellers are to check the destination country’s requirements if it includes a negative PCR test. This should be done at any of the accredited labs, and they will get the result that is verifiable through any of the airlines. It’s very important to do this.” Ihekweazu stated.
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