In a bid to curb the coronavirus pandemic, Imo and Ebonyi States have declared dusk to dawn curfew in their various states.
Umahi who made the declaration during the state wide live broadcast in Abakaliki, ordered the security agencies and the anti-coronavirus taskforce to arrest anybody found outside his residence within the period.
He however, exempted those offering essential Services such as health workers, security agents, and media workers who must have pass or permit.
“I hereby direct a total lockdown of the entire state from 7a.m to 7p.m and anybody found outside within this period must be arrested and prosecuted. Only those offering essential Services such as Security agents, health workers, Media workers, who must have pass are exempted”, Umahi said.
Governor Umahi who also announced the reorganization of security at the borders with seven check points to forestall incidence of smuggling of people into the state, said that his administration was making plans to also install CCTV camera at the border locations to be getting daily videos of happenings at the borders.
“We have agreed to have seven blockages in each border location. Each entry point of Ebonyi State will have seven blockages. The first one at the boundary between us and another state will be manned by the Army and Army alone. Nobody else will be there.
“Then, at a distance that will be agreed by the Deputy Governor and the security chiefs, the police will mount their own. Only the police will be there. We don’t want anybody else.
“Third point will be where the other service chiefs will contribute personnel and mount blockage.
The fourth one will be the Neighborhood Watch. The fifth one will be Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) The sixth one will be the Royal Highnesses and the Town Union Presidents and the seventh one will be the local government Chairmen and the Coordinators.
“This is with immediate effect. Let us see how the leakage will happen. And if Army passes any vehicle and it is dictated against the law by the police, we will ask questions to the Army. It will help us know where the leakage is coming from”, Umahi said.
He further said that the ban on use of motorcycles and gatherings of religious activities including Sundays and other social gatherings are still in force in the State.
He said the State Government shall embark on COVID-19 House to House testing exercise for the next two weeks targeting at the returnees, sick persons and others targeting not less than 2000 households within the next Two weeks.
He said no corpse shall be received again by Mortuaries, except those that died in the hospitals in which case, causation of death must be established and permission to bury shall be sought accordingly.
In Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodimma said that his Executive Order on Covid-19 where he imposed a dusk to dawn curfew does not mean there will be movement in the day.
While clarifying that the lockdown of Imo State remains total from 6am to 6pm, Governor Uzodimma cautioned against interpreting the dusk to dawn curfew to mean free movement of people in the day.
He said the dusk to dawn order from 6pm to 6am takes care of those who would want to abuse the directive on lockdown during that period and only those on essential services have the right to movement from 6am and 6pm daily.
On Friday, Governor Uzodimma imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in the state in a fresh move to check the ravaging coronavirus.
In an Executive Order № 001, 2020, he said the state remains on total lockdown because of Covid-19.
According to the Governor, the lockdown starts from 6am till 6pm daily and only those on essential duties will be permitted to move about while the dusk to dawn curfew from 6pm to 6am also applies, effective April 18.
Governor Uzodimma said he has an obligation to preserve the lives of Imo people and was committed to the enforcement of the total lockdown of movement of persons.
According to him all borders leading in and out of the state are shut till further notice.
“Also, Imo indigenes returning from outside the state shall be admitted on the condition of proper identification and on condition that they subject themselves to test of the Covid-19 and are quarantined for 14 days before entering into the state.
“Violators of the order would be made to undergo a seven day Community Service and a fine in lieu that would require Tricycle operators to pay N7000, motorcycle operators N7000, Border closure violators N10000, Cars N20000 and Trucks N50000” the Governor was quoted in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Oguwuike Nwachuku
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