By: Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja
The Federal Government has vowed to descend heavily on travellers that fail to conduct the mandatory COVID-19 PCR test.
While Nigerians will get six- month passport suspension, foreigners face outright visa cancellation, it said.
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 National Coordinator, Dr Sani Aliyu, disclosed this during a briefing on Monday.
Nigeria placed travel bans as part of the global lockdown measures to contain the spread of the pandemic in March 2020.
Aliyu, who threw more light on the travel protocols said: “Just to make it clear, it is mandatory that you have the PCR test done on day 7th.
‘’When you arrive in the county (Nigeria) and for whatever reason you do not have a card that works on the system, and you are unable to pay at the airports, you will still have to make arrangement to pay before day 7th of the your test.
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“If you do not have a test by day 14th regardless whether you have paid or not, we have a system for identifying cases with Nigerian passports and restrictions will be placed on those passports for six months period.
“For those that are non-Nigerians that have not had the PCR test done between the 7th and 14th days and on their way out of the country, we will revoke their visas.
“So there are clearly implications for not following the travel protocols and this is done in the interest of our country”.
Aliyu said only PCR test will be acceptable for boarding, which must be carried out at most 96 hours to boarding.
Already he said over 9,000 passengers have entered Nigeria since the airspace was opened for international flight on September 5, 2020.
