The Nigerian Army has intensified efforts in its preventive measures against the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 across its barracks in the country.

Toward this end and in compliance with the directive of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Yusufu Buratai, the headquarters of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps Victoria Island Lagos has taken proactive measures against the dreaded virus.

The Bonny Cantonment has stepped up the medical screening of its men, officers and individuals going into or coming out of the cantonment by checking their temperature and making sure that individuals wash their hands in order to effectively check the spread of the disease into the barracks’ community.

These proactive measures were contained in a statement by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Col Sagir Musa, on Monday, March 30, 2020.

Wash-hand basins, hand sanitisers and soaps have been positioned at suitable locations at the entrance of the Cantonment to ease or ensure compliance.

While inhabitants and visitors to Abakpa Cantonment and 82 Division Headquarters Complex along Abakaliki road, Enugu are also being screened by medical staff from the Division’s hospital, there are also indications that drastic measures have been put in place to restrict access to mammy market in the barracks in order to prevent the spread of the virus.

At Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment housing 2 Division Nigerian Army, there is noticeable increase in medical checks at the two major gates leading into the Cantonment. Thermometers and hand sanitisers with the requisite medical staff from the Division’s hospital are reportedly in position and available to soldiers, their families and necessary visitors into the Cantonment.

The situation is the same in 81 Division Lagos where the medical personnel are strategically positioned at the main gate entrance to the headquarters complex to screen personnel getting into the building.

An interesting major effort by the Nigerian Army is the directive given to the tailoring arm of the service to start the production of the required masks for officers, soldiers and their families. This is due to the scarcity of the product in the open market especially in Ibadan and environs.

In addition to implementing or enforcing the directives of the Chief of Army Staff, - all Army Commanders have also initiated measures to prevent the spread of the deadly threat into their respective barracks and other locations.

Measures such as personal hygiene, hand-sanitisation, online correspondences and social distancing are strictly being enforced and observed from the army Headquarters down to units and formations levels across the country.

Generally, there are feelers that teams of medical experts and military police have been mandated and have since been going round the Army Barracks and Cantonments in the country to ensure that the outlined preventive measures are being implemented in line with the desire of the Chief of Army Staff.

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