Worried by the flagrant disregard to the total ban on inter-state travel of citizens by the federal and state governments to curtail further spread of the coronvirus pandemic, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, has ordered the immediate deployment of special forces to monitor the enforcement of the order.
According to findings in Abuja on Saturday, the special forces include the personnel of the X-Squad and the IGP Monitoring Unit.
It was gathered that the mandate of the special forces is to “ensure proper enforcement of the order to the letter in line with the laws of the land and devoid of abuse of the rights of the citizens by the personnel of the force at their areas of operation.”
Findings revealed that the IGP took the action following series of complaints by the state governors who were pointing accusing fingers at the police personnel who allegedly compromised the enforcement of the order by allowing free passage of unauthorised persons at the various check points across the country.
Scores of passengers have been intercepted across the states of the federation and Abuja for violating the interstate travel ban, while in some cases, corpses were impounded from people trying to smuggle them to different destinations for burial.
When contacted on the position of the Police High Command on the accusation of compromise being levelled against its personnel on the enforcement of the interstate travel ban, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), explained that the enforcement of the order depended on many variables.
According to him, “it is very complex, but as we speak, our special forces, comprising the Police X-Squad and the IGP Monitoring Unit, are outside monitoring the enforcement of the order.
“Anybody caught for compromising the enforcement as directed by the president and state governors will be arrested to face disciplinary action.
“Nigeria Police Force is a disciplined organization. Most of those things you read in the media about the police compromising the enforcement of the interstate travel ban are false. In everything we do, we normally put measures in place to check their system for proper implementation.”
Kwara police also vow to enforce ban
In the same vein, the Kwara State police command has said interstate travels remained banned for passengers except essential goods like food, petroleum products and agricultural produce, among others.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ajayi Okasanmi, who said that people from Zamfara, Katsina and other states had been intercepted at various times and returned to their origins, called for cooperation of residents in border communities to discourage interstate travels.
The Kwara State government also said that it would not accommodate any new entrant into the state, in keeping with the ban on interstate movement.
The deputy governor and chairman COVID-19 Technical Committee, Mr Kayode Alabi, stated this while meeting with the leadership of the Hausa community in the state during the week.
Alabi said some of the COVID-19 cases in Kwara State were non-residents intercepted by security personnel in the state.
He, therefore, urged the executive members of the community to inform their people to stay anywhere they are until after the pandemic.
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