Why we opened border for returnees – Aregbesola defends himself after report of Abidjan returnees worsening Coronavirus crisis in Osun

Former Governor of Osun State and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has revealed why the border was opened for returnees despite a Presidential directive.

Recall it was reported few days ago that the number of Coronavirus confirmed cases in Osun State increased from 2 to 14, after 12 persons tested positive in two days. The 12 confirmed cases were among the 127 people that came into the state from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday, March 28.

Aregbesola however defended opening of the Nigerian borders for returnees while answering questions from journalists at the Presidential Taskforce briefing on Thursday April 2.

The Minister stated that every citizen has the right to return to his fatherland “at any time”, and further added that it is embarrassing to deny citizens entry into their country.

He said;

”Every citizen of every nation has the right to return to his fatherland whenever he or she wishes regardless of the situation, even at war.”

Aregbesola also revealed that the Nigerian government signed an international treaty “that says no human being is stateless”.

He added;

”We have signed into an international treaty that says no human being is stateless,” he said. ”We cannot deny our citizens entry into our nation. If we do that it will be embarrassing and not speak well of our nation.

“It is difficult for us to aggregate our responsibility to our nationals who return by land border. When they get to our land border, what the accredited officials of state do is to first determine they are Nigerians.

”Once the issue of their citizenship is determined, the governments are contacted to find out if they could isolate them in their isolation centres.”