Omicron: Putting Nigeria On Red List Is Unjust, Lai Mohammed Tells UK

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, faulted the travel review by the United Kingdom over the new variant of COVID-19 named Omicron.

The UK government had placed Nigeria on red list following the outbreak of the variant.

Mohammed said this at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday.

He described the UK’s decision as unjust, unfair, punitive, indefensible, and discriminatory.

The Minister said, “As you are aware, Britain has put Nigeria on its red list and banned foreign travels from our country. This is as a result of the discovery of COVID-19 cases – Omicron variant – in Nigeria. Britain now joins other countries, including Canada, which have taken similar action against Nigeria over Omicron.

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“Let me say straight away that it’s up to the Presidential Steering Committee to respond to this action by the British government and others, and I have no doubt that the Committee will respond appropriately.

“However, as the Spokesman for the Federal Government, I can say, without mincing words, that the decision by the British government to put Nigeria on the red list, just because of less than two dozen cases of Omicron which, by the way, did not originate in Nigeria, is unjust, unfair, punitive, indefensible and discriminatory. The decision is also not driven by science.”