The Kwara State Government on Sunday, ordered security agencies to arrest violators of the stay-at-home order by the government in what it described as painful efforts to avert the community transmission of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic in the state.
The Deputy Governor and Chairman of the state technical committee on COVID-19, Mr. Kayode Alabi, who gave the order while addressing newsmen in Ilorin, said all security chiefs have been briefed to arrest whoever acted contrary to the government directive for immediate prosecution and conviction by mobile courts.
Apparently reacting to the latest number of Covid-19 patients in the state, the deputy governor said ” gentlemen, two days ago, our state recorded five new cases of Covid-19, that means Kwara now has a total of nine confirmed cases.
“Of these, two have recovered and had since been discharged. All the five new cases were contacts from our previous cases,” the deputy governor stated.
He said ” they have been in self isolation from where their samples were taken.
“As we speak, our hard working rapid response team have since started aggressive contact tracing of persons who have had contacts with them to prevent community transmission of the disease and put us in firm control of the situation.”
The deputy governor asserted that “the government is very displeased with the reckless violation of the no movement directive,” hence , ” in going forward, punitive actions shall be taken against anyone who violates the regulations.”
He said all markets will remain open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between the hours of 8am and 12noon for people to restock foods and other essentials, but there shall be no vehicular movements of any kind except those on essential duties and trucks conveying foods and drugs and associated services earlier exempted.
“For emphasis, Okada, Keke Napep, taxi, private vehicles and other vehicular movements are disallowed,” he declared.
He said people are to patronize only markets nearer to their places of residence as movements to the markets shall be by foot, warning that ” anyone caught violating these regulations will be prosecuted in the mobile courts and sanctioned accordingly.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, stressed the readiness of all security agents to work in collaboration with the state government to ensure strict compliance of the order by the residents in the state.
He frowned at “people taking undue advantage of our leniency” but noted that “with the new strategies put in place, we are ready to ensure that Kwarans co-operate with the government, Covid-19 committee and law enforcement agencies.”
