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John Adams, Minna
Worried by the attitude of the police and other security agencies in enforcing the restriction of movement order by the government as a measure to contain the spread of the virus, the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has directed the state COVID-19 task force to engage conventional security outfits and volunteers like the Red Cross, Boys Brigade, En’Agaji and Man-O-War.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor in Minna on Tuesday quoted the governor as saying that the decision was informed by the continued influx of people from neighboring States into the Niger, especially at night, despite the presence of the police and other security agents at all entry points into the State.
The statement pointed out that the decision to engage conventional security outfits was arrived at on Monday after a meeting with the state COVID-19 task force at the Government House.
The government’s decision is coming barely 24 hours after a driver who lost his boss to an unknown illness in Kano sneaked into Zumba community in Shiroro local government area of the State before he was picked up and quarantined at the Minna isolation centre.
Related: COVID-19: Kano-based returnee driver whisked to isolation centre in Minna
The governor noted in the statement that having reviewed the existing lockdown order and the continued rise in the COVID-19 cases, “there was the need to strengthen all measures in order to curb the spread of the dreaded virus.”
While emphasising that the ban on all night travel and movement of vehicles and people into the State remain banned, he appealed to the chairmen of all 25 local government council in the State “to guard their borders and ensure strict compliance with the COVID-19 order if the State must achieve the desired result.”
According to the governor, the ban on movement of vehicles, particularly night travel “has become necessary as it was the period used by motorists to convey people and goods into the State thereby flouting the lockdown order,” adding that the three index cases recorded in the State were all travelers.
He directed the Secretary to the state government to discuss with various unions such as the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) “to ensure that they support the government on the ban on interstate movement of vehicles.”
On the repatriation of Almajiri children, the governor disclosed that eight isolation centres have been identified in the eight Emirate councils in the state for the mandatory 14-days quarantine of the Almajiris where they will be profiled and tested for COVID-19 before being repatriated to their state of origin under the strict supervision of the state government.
He also revealed that the state government will increase testing capacity so that more people will get tested, in order for the State to know its true position in regards to infection rates.
The governor said that movement restriction would be eased Tuesday’s, Friday’s and Sunday’s for residents to restock food and other essentials “and this should be done in strict compliance to all the measures, including the use of face mask, social distance and personal hygiene.”
