Residents cautioned against defying stay-at-home order

By Stanley Onyekwere

For the umpteenth time, residents in Abuja, the nation’s capital city have cautioned against defying the prevailing cessation of movement order, aimed at mitigating to spread of Coronavirus epidemic in the society.
In particular, residents are reminded that any individuals found violating the stay-at-home order will be swiftly arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
According to the Chairman, FCT Task Team on Enforcement, Comrade Attah Ikharo, who gave the warning while carrying out an enforcement exercise in Lugbe axis, reiterated that markets remain closed inline with the restrictions order of the Federal government, to contain the spread of the epidemic.
Attah appealed to the residents to comply with the directive and stay indoor to enable government carryout more contact tracing to contain the spread of the COVID – 19 into the city and satellite towns of the FCT.
He however frowned at the situation where some of the residents floated the Presidential order and going about with their normal lives as if nothing was wrong.
The Chairman while explaining that as government, they must come out with strong position again, which will re-echoed that markets are close and markets should remain close added that, only neighbourhood markets or neighbourhood shops are to be open during this period.
He stressed that, government action at this time was for the people good and not to inconvenience any of its citizens.
According to him, “ I think we must sound realistic, many thanks to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha who has being doing so much to really enlighten the people that the issue of 10am- 2pm market is for those who are in a neighborhood to stock food and not for major markets here.
“They all misunderstood him and they all came out in their large numbers and you could see from the stand faces of everybody here both clergy, civil servants, all said market are open from 10 – 2pm and floated the road to go get things and we saw good stock in their cars”.
“Since they are first time offenders, we have to warned them after keeping them in that location for one to two hours at a point we have to warned all of them and subsequently released them. We feel that two hours detention is enough for them to learn a lesson”, he added.
Attah also warned those who are using the stay at home window by the Federal government to construct illegal structures to desist from such act noting that the administration will not hesitate to bring down structure that was build during this period.
The FCT Task team Chairman noted that building any structure at this period contravene government stay at home directive and any individual found in such act will be deal with accordingly.
He adds:” you cannot be constructing illegal structures now under the guise that the nation is undergoing lock down for COVID -19.
“Sometime this illegal structures when completed, when you now go for demolition they will now be asking you where were you when we were building. During our enforcement today, we met some people building at Sabon Lugbe and we chest them away and told them until after the lock down exercise”.