travelers from Sokoto were on Friday arrested by the Nigerian Police after defying the inter-state lockdown order by the Oyo State Government.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State during a visit to Gbagi Police Station, where they were detained, however, said the travellers would not be released to the Sokoto State Government until they undergo COVID-19 test.

The governor said samples from the travellers had been taken for COVID-19 test.

The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Sina Olukolu, said the travellers were apprehended at the Asejire Dam area of the Oyo-Osun boundary, adding that they claimed that they were travelling from Sokoto en route to Akure.

Makinde said, “We are not able to explain how they got here in the first place because there is an inter-state lockdown throughout the country. They claimed they came from Sokoto and they must have passed through so many states.

“I am in discussion with the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwa. We are more likely going to return them to Sokoto.”

The driver of the bus, Muhammad Idris, said they passed through old roads and bushes from Sokoto to Niger and Kwara, to Ogbomoso down to Ibadan.