Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has signed an Executive Order giving legal backing to the lockdown, which took effect in Adamawa State on Wednesday.
The lockdown, the latest measure by the government to protect the state against COVID-19, was only hours old Wednesday evening when a statement about the governor signing the executive order was released to the media by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Humawashi Wonosikou.
The statement said the order, known as the Health Protection (Coronavirus) Restriction Adamawa State Regulations 2020 Order, came into force by midnight of Tuesday, March 31, 2020.
“The Restriction Order prohibits a person from leaving his abode without reasonable excuse except to obtain basic necessities such as food, drugs and water within its two-week lifespan
“Others are seeking medical assistance, providing care and assistance to a vulnerable person, donating blood or for the purpose of work, which are all classified as essential services,” the statement explained.
It said government expects citizens to exercise caution when considering any undertaking outside those exceptions specifically allowed, “as they may have to justify that to the police or other law enforcement agencies and the courts.”
It warned that under the Regulation, “the police or law enforcement officers may use reasonable force if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a person is, or may be infected or contaminated with the Coronavirus and there is a risk that the person might infect others.”
