The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Enforcement Team, on Sunday, arrested a popular Islamic cleric (name withheld), alongside a Turkish and an Angolan for violating the Presidential lockdown directive in the FCT aimed at curtailing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in Abuja.
Chairman, FCTA enforcement team, Comrade Ikharo Attah, who announced this in a chat with newsmen, also disclosed that over 269 vehicles were impounded for violating the Presidential stay-at-home directive in the territory.
He then warned the residents, especially the uniformed personnel and diplomats against breaking this important and lifesaving law.
According to him: “Early this morning, we commenced the operation following so many calls from residents that the Christ Embassy Church in Durumi was holding a church programme, we went there and discovered that that was not true, but the pastor was inside the church with some cameramen and some production crew.
“We found out that they were doing their stream online but the generating set was on. That was the noise they heard that they concluded that it was a church service.
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“We then proceeded to other areas around town. We got to Area 1 Roundabout, where a particular man was arrested with four military caps- he puts one Army cap in his boot, then another one for Nigeria Airforce, as well as two other ones for Nigeria Navy, all in one vehicle. We took and handed him over to the FCT Commissioner of Police.
“Then we also had another case of a man whose vehicle was taken to Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) in Area 1, and immediately he decided to strip himself naked, removed all the clothes in protest that he must work, that he did not believe in the existence of coronavirus.
“We then moved to the mosque at Wuye district, because we had gotten several complaints that the man (Imam) had worshipped on Friday. But that Friday, we were at Kuje so we could not have come back within five minutes. So, we got there today and invited him to come and explain; and we cautioned him at the FCT Police Command, Garki,” he stressed.
On why his team arrested a Turkish and an Angolan during the exercise, he said: “We arrested two expatriates at Glo Junction for violating the President’s order, going out without a permit. One of them is from Turkey, while the other is from Angola. They were taken to the Maitama Police Division.”
It will be recalled that in the first week of the lockdown, a Pastor (name withheld) was equally invited to the FCT Police Command for violating the directive, where he was cautioned and released.
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