A large number of residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Anambra States are refusing to stay at home in violation of the 14-day Coronavirus restrictions slammed on parts of the country by government.

In Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday warned that the state government will not hesitate to prosecute anyone found to be flouting the directives of the government on lockdown, saying over 400 commercial buses, popularly called Danfo, have been impounded for flouting the order.

Investigations by our correspondents showed that while many people are obeying the order, some others who have no business to be outside of their immediate environment are moving about unconcerned about the risk involved.

Security personnel deployed to enforce the lockdown have been largely civil in executing the order, according to our reporters. Some vehicles and people were seen moving about in Lagos metropolis on Saturday.

Some commercial motorcycle operators were also seen operating in parts of the city.

Soldiers, policemen and para-military personnel were also sighted on major roads stopping vehicles to ascertain the identities of the occupants.

Essential service providers like electricity, food processing, telecommunication, media, petroleum transportation and medical workers are exempted from the restriction.

Police impound 51 cars, 46 motorcycles in Abuja

The Joint Operation Task Team for the enforcement of the Presidential lockdown order on COVID-19 in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has impounded 51 cars, 46 motorcycles and nine tricycles for violating the lockdown directive.

The team is led by the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma.

Spokesman for the FCT Police Command, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, said yesterday that the seized vehicles were being used by their owners in violation of the lockdown order.

He said they were seized at Nyanya, Dutse Alhaji, Karu, Jabi, Kado, Life-camp, Mpape, Zuba and other parts of the Federal Capital Territory.

They will remain in police custody until the 14 days lockdown order is lifted by the Federal Government.

Police Commissioner Bala Ciroma advised the public to be law-abiding and support the ongoing effort by the government to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and to adhere strictly to the guideline that markets selling food in the neighbourhoods would open from 10am to 2pm every other day.

“In view of this, all FCT residents are expected to remain in their respective homes on Sunday, as violators will be arrested,” Manzah said.

Business was still booming in restaurants and drink joints in Karu and Nyanya on the outskirts of Abuja yesterday.

The major road linking Mararaba and Nyanya was partly blocked by law enforcement officers to ensure compliance with the lockdown.

Markets, shops, drivers still operating in Anambra

Many markets in Anambra State were opened for business yesterday in violation of the state government’s order that markets be closed.

Commercial buses were also seen operating while many residents appeared not to be heeding the warning on social distancing.

Many of the residents who trooped to the Ekwueme Square in Awka for physical exercises were seen in clusters discussing or exercising.

Police Commissioner John Abang, told The Nation on Saturday that the Command was working hard to enforce the guidelines.

He said more of his men had been deployed in every nook and cranny of the State, especially the border areas to make sure the directive was enforced.

He said the police would no longer tolerate lawlessness.

Afor market in Nawfia, Njikoka local government area, Umudioka, in Dunukofia and Oye Agu in Abagana were all in full business on Saturday.

A journalist in the State, Pamela Eboh said of the nonchalant attitude of the people: “It’s really scary. Our people are yet to understand the enormity of this pandemic and if it eventually hits Anambra, Italy, Spain will be a far cry.

“Some even mock people wearing gloves and face masks. It’s really sad, we are good at learning the hard way” Eboh said

It’s total lockdown in Ogun

But it was a different story in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital yesterday, the first day of the lockdown in the state.

The Central Business District (CBD) in Oke-Ilewo area of the city was desolate, it was like a holiday.

The roads were generally empty and everywhere quiet save for people rendering essential services such as security personnel, health workers and media workers sighted at different locations on the move to perform their respective tasks.

Shops, markets and business premises within the business districts were also shut as the owners and operators complied with the directive on Stay – at – Home.

The Police Commissioner, Kenneth Ebrimson, who was sighted patrolling the State capital and its environs in convoys to monitor the level of compliance by residents, commended them for their cooperation and support.

He said the continued cooperation and support of the people would ensure the success of the order, which will also lead to its objective being met.

He said: “I want to mostly thank the citizens of Ogun State for showing their sense of being civil, their sense of law abiding to a greater extent, they have lessen the burden of the security agencies.

“So far, the compliance level is totally satisfactory and efficient, it is functional. So, I am happy that they have collaborated with us without allowing us to go after any of them. So, the compliance level, I am pleased and satisfied with it.

“The message I have for them is that the government has created a window from Tuesday 7am to 2pm, so we have equally kept our monitoring mechanism to ensure that within that period we monitor them to show that we complete what they have and then disperse so that the commencement of the compliance will continue from 2pm.”

‘We must avert what they predicted about us ‘— FG

Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, Mr. Boss Mustapha, on Friday appealed to Nigerians to work with government and help avert the gloomy predictions about the country by international opinions.

Mustapha who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said that Nigerians should shame critics prediction that Nigeria would crash under the weight of the health crisis.

He pointed out that the federal government, with all the measures already announced, had been playing its part to ensure that the dire predictions about Nigeria do not materialise, but noted that the safety measures would be of no effect eventually if every Nigerian failed to play his part.

“We have to be very careful here so that we do not tie the hands of our law enforcement agencies and incapacitate them from being efficient and effective in the implementation of this lockdown,’ he said.

“I have emphasised that what we are trying to do is to have Nigerians own this process, it’s for our good, to protect ourselves and to protect our loved ones. We must push this narrative put there so that we take ownership of the process.”

Also on Friday, Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed warned that residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos State and Ogun State faced a possible extension of the on-going 14day Coronavirus lockdown if they continued to violate the stay-at-home order.

“If we don’t behave ourselves, there is a likelihood that the lockdown will be extended, but if we behave ourselves, there might not be an extension and I hope we do so,” he said at an interview session with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He added: “If we stay at home for two weeks and we are doing everything we are supposed to do, we should be able to effectively contain the disease.

“Therefore, my appeal to Nigerians is that they should obey the directive on social distancing, personal hygiene and shun gatherings; after two weeks, we will resume our normal life.

“But if they think it is a joke, then we may have to stay at home more than the two weeks.” (The Nation)

Update news