COVID-19: Nasarawa APC Scribe Cries For Help From India

• Local authorities blame Nigerians, others for virus infection

BY AHMED TUKUR LAFIA – The Nasarawa State Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aliyu Bello, wants the Federal Government to urgently evacuate Nigerians from India following growing fear of molestation by the locals over the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a Save Our Souls (SOS) message to the government, Bello said the situation in India at present may become uncontrollable and life-threatening if something urgent is not done to ferry Nigerians out of the Asian nation

The APC Chieftain, who was in India on a medical trip before the dreaded coronavirus outbreak, said most foreigners, especially Nigerians are seen as being responsible for the virus’ outbreak in India.

Speaking to Forefront News on phone, Bello said the situation in India has made most Nigerians to lock up themselves in their various hotels for fear of stigmatization and also prevent themselves from contracting the virus.

Explaining that Nigerians have already taken some precautionary and safety measures, the State APC Scribe said; “They see you as the one who imported coronavirus into their country. Once they sight you, they begin to have a different look at you. We are feeling kind of stigmatized”

According to him, having been discharged from the hospital and currently lodged in hotel for over a month, the tension and situation are hellish for him and other Nigerians, mostly from Sokoto state that have been held up in the hotel for more than 30 days and still counting.

He said it is now becoming very difficult to pay their bills because they have out spent themselves and are now on the verge of being ejected from the hotel due to lack of funds to settle their bills.

“I left Nigeria on the 7th of March and was supposed to come back on 6th of April, but was held up because of outbreak of coronavirus”

“I had a successful surgery in my two legs, the right leg is ninety percent healed while the left leg is fifty per cent (50%) healed”, Bello said.

The Nasarawa APC Scribe however said the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Embassy in India, has assured that they will be evacuated soon but all those affected will be responsible for their flight tickets.

“The embassy contacted us on the 7th of April demanding for our data pages and return ticket and that they have send it to Nigeria awaiting for further directives”

“I am therefore appealing to Federal Government to evacuate us because the situation is bad in India. We also need urgent assistance so that we pay at least fifty per cent (50%) of the cost of ticket since they want us to pay for the flight ticket”, he pleaded