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.
