Drama as Benue index case denies being infected with Coronavirus

A British-Nigerian woman alleged to be Benue State’s COVID-19 index case on Friday denied ever being infected.

Susan Idoko-Okpe, 56, from Otukpa in Ogbadigo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State but resident in the United Kingdom, said she was the victim of mistaken identity.

According to her, the medical report upon which she was quarantined belonged to a 62-year-old woman, Sarah Okpe, from Otukpo LGA.


Idoko-Okpe claimed that she had been quarantined at the National Hospital, Abuja since March 27, despite neither being ill nor asymptomatic.

In an April 23 letter to the Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire, through her lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), she demanded her release and an unreserved apology.

A photocopy of an April 2, Benue State University Teaching Hospital letter to the Infectious Diseases Unit, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital seen by The Nation, stated that a Susan Okpe was referred to the facility from a private hospital on February 28, after she tested positive for COVID-19.

But, according to Idoko-Okpe, she was still in the United Kingdom by February 28, and only arrived in Nigeria on March 22.

“As of 28th February when the letter was written, our client was still in the United Kingdom and she only arrived in Nigeria on March 22, 2020, as confirmed by the stamp of the Nigerian Immigration Service on her passport.

“The said letter indicated that the patient was referred to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital from a private hospital ‘AFTER she tested positive to COVID 19.’

“As of this period, no test had been (nor could have been) conducted on our client as she was still in the United Kingdom and had not arrived Nigeria at all; and

“Our Client is not SUSAN OKPE and she is not 62 years old,” Idoko-Okpe stated in her petition.

According to her, part of the medical basis for which she was quarantined, was a “purported laboratory test result from the National Reference Laboratory, Abuja, which refers to “OKPE SUSAN, 58 years, Female, Benue State, Otukpo Local Government Area.”

The letter added: “Our Client is not 58 years old, she is not Okpe Susan and she is not from Otukpo LGA.

“In this same test result, it is stated that the ‘Date of onset of Fever’ is “16/03/2020″, by which date our Client was still in the United Kingdom, having only arrived Nigeria on March 22 2020.”