The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone 11, Bashir Makama, on Friday personally supervised the enforcement of the lockdown order in Lagos and Ogun states at the Ogunmakin boundary leading into Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
At the boundary, several commercial vehicles from Lagos and Ogun states were stopped from entering Ibadan, with security operatives, including the police, army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), turning them back from where they came from.
However, instead of them to return to Lagos and Ogun states, the passengers disembarked, and with their loads on their heads, began trekking towards Ibadan, which is still about 30 kilometers into the Oyo State capital.
The scene could only be likened to people escaping a war zone.
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Speaking with Tribune Online, one of the passengers who opted to continue his journey to Ibadan on foot said he left Lagos around 3:00 a.m but got stuck at Ogunmakin as police operatives prevented them from proceeding on their journey into Ibadan.
The passenger, who declined to mention his name said life was becoming unbearable in Lagos and he decided to come down to Ibadan to survive before the lockdown is lifted in Lagos.
He said: “Apart from the fact that we are hungry, armed robbers and hoodlums have been disturbing us in Lagos.
“I prefer to stay in Ibadan until everything returns to normal.”
However, AIG Makama, while speaking with Tribune Online, wondered why people would not adhere to simple instructions.
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He said “the directive by the Federal Government on the lockdown in Lagos and Ogun states is for the benefit of the people, so why is it that people are moving into Ibadan and defying the lockdown?
“The police and other security agencies have been preventing them from entering Oyo State and we will continue to do that.”
AIG Makama, however, said things are better at the Asejire boundary leading into Osun State and the Bakatari boundary leading into Ogun State, as people complied with the no inter-state movement.
He said with the resolve of security agencies in preventing people and vehicles from entering Oyo, people will learn to obey the lockdown directive of government.
The AIG also visited the Ogunpa, Dugbe market which was razed by fire some days ago.
AIG Makama, who oversees the Oyo, Osun, and Ondo States police commands, said the police would look at ways to sensitise the people on how to prevent future fire incidents.
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