Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
There is great panic in Kogi following unchecked traffic of people into the state within the last days especially from surrounding states and far north which the pandemic has been currently ravaging the people.
Between Thursday and yesterday, it was learnt that no fewer than 16 trailers came into Lokoja with hundreds of Okada riders and their bikes from Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, and other far northern states.
This is aside of hundreds of other people who entered into the state with ease from Niger, FCT, Benue, Enugu, among others including almajiris who were ferried into the state from Nasarawa.
Atleast, 10 of the almajiris taken to Kano from Nasarawa tested positive but in the case of Kogi, it was learnt that there were no medical team to test anyone neither is there any security personnel to check the influx from the numerous borders of the state.
It was learnt that most of the Okada riders had moved to some major towns like Kabba, Okene, Ayingba, Idah while the almajiris are clustered around the Paparanda junction with some in the market areas and bank locations in the state capital.
Residents have expressed fears that with the widespread of the deadly virus, their lives were at risk as the state government was not doing enough to protect them.