The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) says two
suspects are presently in police custody for issuing fake COVID-19
test results with the institute’s name.
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
Prof. Babatunde Salako, the Director-General (D-G) of NIMR, made
the disclosure to newsmen in Lagos on Friday during a news
conference to reveal NIMR’s findings on the alleged issuance of
fake COVID-19 test results from the institute.
![image](/2020/10/NWLRland.jpg")
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos State
Government had on Dec. 29, 2020 raised alarm over sales of fake
COVID-19 test results in the state.
The state government said that processes were being put in place
to clamp down on both buyers and sellers.
Salako said:” On Dec. 29, 2020, TVC Communications aired a news
entitled ” How Officials Issue Fake COVID-19 Result without Test in
Nigeria” wherein it alleged sharp practices at our testing site
.
“As an institute with an unblemished reputation whose vision is
promotion of national health and development, it raises a serious
concern that our efforts are being sabotaged.
“We immediately set up an investigative committee headed by
Prof. Stella Smith, to come up with facts on the truism or
otherwise of the allegation.
“A thorough investigation by the committee revealed that two
individuals who were neither staff nor agents of NIMR are behind
the issuance of the fake results without testing.
“ The suspects namely Enoch Basyan and Fazing Binrah were caught
in the act while trying to do COVID-19 test for one of our staff
who acted as a patient at the front of a bank at Isolo.
“The suspects are currently at Aswani Police Station and will
face the law,” the NIMR D-G said.
Salako added that the suspects in their confessional statement
revealed that they visited the institute sometime ago and took away
the institute’s testing request form under the guise of coming for
COVID-19 test.
According to him, the institute has put in mechanisms to check
some loopholes in its procedure before testing.
“One of our staff who is in charge of the test request form who
is currently being interrogated admitted he mistakenly gave out the
forms to some individuals who made away with it without trace.
“If our staff is found guilty in the ongoing interrogation, the
staff will be sanctioned in accordance to the extant rules guiding
such offence.
“This development has shown some gaps in the COVID-19 response
in our institution; from now on, photo identification will be
required together with an invitation letter to be admitted for
testing.
“All COVID-19 results from NIMR will be sent electronically
using our official email; therefore, any results emanating from any
source other than our official website is not our result,” he
said.
He, however, urged the media to be more thorough in their
publication by providing opportunities for institutions to be part
of their efforts to unravel the truth and avoid embarrassment to
government agencies. (NAN)
The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) says two
suspects are presently in police custody for issuing fake COVID-19
test results with the institute’s name.
Prof. Babatunde Salako, the Director-General (D-G) of NIMR, made
the disclosure to newsmen in Lagos on Friday during a news
conference to reveal NIMR’s findings on the alleged issuance of
fake COVID-19 test results from the institute.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos State
Government had on Dec. 29, 2020 raised alarm over sales of fake
COVID-19 test results in the state.
The state government said that processes were being put in place
to clamp down on both buyers and sellers.
Salako said:” On Dec. 29, 2020, TVC Communications aired a news
entitled ” How Officials Issue Fake COVID-19 Result without Test in
Nigeria” wherein it alleged sharp practices at our testing site
.
“As an institute with an unblemished reputation whose vision is
promotion of national health and development, it raises a serious
concern that our efforts are being sabotaged.
“We immediately set up an investigative committee headed by
Prof. Stella Smith, to come up with facts on the truism or
otherwise of the allegation.
“A thorough investigation by the committee revealed that two
individuals who were neither staff nor agents of NIMR are behind
the issuance of the fake results without testing.
“ The suspects namely Enoch Basyan and Fazing Binrah were caught
in the act while trying to do COVID-19 test for one of our staff
who acted as a patient at the front of a bank at Isolo.
“The suspects are currently at Aswani Police Station and will
face the law,” the NIMR D-G said.
Salako added that the suspects in their confessional statement
revealed that they visited the institute sometime ago and took away
the institute’s testing request form under the guise of coming for
COVID-19 test.
According to him, the institute has put in mechanisms to check
some loopholes in its procedure before testing.
“One of our staff who is in charge of the test request form who
is currently being interrogated admitted he mistakenly gave out the
forms to some individuals who made away with it without trace.
“If our staff is found guilty in the ongoing interrogation, the
staff will be sanctioned in accordance to the extant rules guiding
such offence.
“This development has shown some gaps in the COVID-19 response
in our institution; from now on, photo identification will be
required together with an invitation letter to be admitted for
testing.
“All COVID-19 results from NIMR will be sent electronically
using our official email; therefore, any results emanating from any
source other than our official website is not our result,” he
said.
He, however, urged the media to be more thorough in their
publication by providing opportunities for institutions to be part
of their efforts to unravel the truth and avoid embarrassment to
government agencies. (NAN)