Hunger won’t allow us to stay at home –Residents:FCT, Lagos, Ogun communities ignore Buhari’s lockdown order

Residents of some communities in the Federal Capital Territory, Ogun and Lagos states on Sunday  violated  the President Muhammadu Buhari’s  lockdown order.

On Saturday and Sunday, our correspondents in the FCT observed that although there was compliance with the  order within the Abuja metropolis, residents of its suburbs, who cited hunger,  went out contrary to the government’s directive.

In Ogun State, the Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, in a statement on Sunday, decried the level of compliance in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area.

Residents of Lagos areas such as Iyana-Ipaja, Ketu and Alapare cited  hunger for violating the lockdown.

The President had, in a nationwide broadcast on February 29, imposed 14-day  lockdown on the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states to curb  the spread of COVID-19 cases, which increased to 232 on Sunday.

In the FCT,  security personnel consisting  of the police and the  Federal Road Safety Corps officials chased away traders from Kuje market in the Kuje Area Council on Sunday.

One of our correspondents, who was in the area between 2pm and 3pm, observed  that while the market was locked, traders  displayed their goods  at its entrance.

On sighting the security men, some traders took to their heels and  abandoned  their wares which included clothes, food  and cosmetics.

However, the security men were civil with those who had the courage to stay behind. They appealed  to the traders to respect the sit- at- home order.

A barber, who gave his name simply as Tunde, was working in his shop not far away from the market.

He told The PUNCH that security men regularly patrolled  the area to enforce the order.

He said, “The security officials, especially policemen, have been coming here very often. Some of them insist that I close my shop, but others allow me after  convincing  them that mine is an essential service.”

In Ogun State, street urchins,  cultists  and some traders defied the sit-at-home  order.

The lockdown, which commenced in the state on Friday night, recorded substantial compliance in many parts, but some residents of  Sango-Ota and Ewekoro  did not stay at home

Some miscreants in Ota defied the restriction of movement in the area while scrambling for foodstuffs donated by the state government .

An eye witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the miscreants  besieged the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government headquarters following  an  announcement  that foodstuffs would be shared  in the place.

According to the source, the miscreants ran amok when they failed to  get their share of the foodstuffs.

Related posts

Another Kano Governor’s Aide, Asmau Abdullahi Wakili, Joins APC

Kano Political Crisis: Rep Member Accuses Gov. Yusuf of Betraying Kwankwaso

2027: PDP comes to Governor Makinde’s defense, accuses APC of being wary of Nigerian electorate