The Edo State Government has denied the allegation that it released the photograph of a COVID-19 patient who is wanted for treatment in the state.
A public statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, in reaction to a video on the social media where someone is claiming to have been falsely identified as the nursing mother who absconded after testing positive for COVID-19.
He noted that the lady, whose picture was circulated on social media, was a victim of fake news, adding that the action by the mischief makers was calculated to undermine the state government’s efforts to track down the fleeing nursing mother.
According to him, “our attention has been drawn to a video on social media by a lady who claimed her photos have been circulated on social media wrongly as the nursing mother wanted for COVID-19 treatment by the state government.
“It must be stated that when government made the announcement, it only gave the name of the woman in question and her address and never released any photograph of her.
“We categorically stated that the nursing mother lives at No. 2, Atoe Idubor Street, off 2nd Ugbor, Benin City. With such detail, it would be impossible to mix up the person we are searching for.
“However, we understand that the action of the mischief makers would have caused the lady in the video on social media undue psychological torment. We sympathise with her, who, just like us, is now a victim of fake news.
“Therefore, we use this opportunity to reiterate the warning for the purveyors of fake news and misinformation to desist from such act, as their actions amount to undermining government’s effort to check the spread of COVID-19. This is punishable under the Quarantine Act Regulations, which is in force in the state.”
