Lai: We may be forced to use military for contact tracing

Lai Mohammed, minister of information, has advised Nigerians to be prepared for tougher measures amid the coronavirus outbreak.

At a media briefing in Abuja on Monday, Mohammed said the federal government may be forced to employ the services of the military and police for contact tracing.

Mohammed urged people who just returned to the country to “give themselves up”, saying if contact tracing is not properly done, the number of people who have been infected will multiply every five days.

He added that necessary measures will be unveiled before the end of the day or on Tuesday.

“We should be ready for tougher measures. The forms they will take will be out from the end of today or tomorrow. But Nigerians should be ready for tougher measures,” he said.

“If we don’t do proper contact tracing, the figure will multiply every five days. Nigerians must take ownership of this initiative.

“We won’t hesitate to use whatever measure to ensure that you do not endanger other Nigerians. Containment is very cheaper than cure.

“A few people have helped. If you know you traveled recently, give yourself up to relevant agencies.

“If the situation warrants, we may be forced to use the police and the military for contact tracing. The police are already working on that. We don’t want the figure we have now to multiply. We should work towards containment which is cheaper.”

Nigeria recorded its first death from the virus after five new cases were announced on Monday.

The country currently has 35 cases of the virus, spread across five states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

Out of the 35 confirmed cases, only 33 are active while two patients have recovered from the disease.