Senate Deplores Flagrant Breaches of Ban on Interstate Travels

…Directs IGP, Others to investigate alleged complicity of their men

 BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The Senate on Tuesday condemned in strong terms what it dubbed “a barefaced” breach of the presidential order on overnight curfew and ban on non-essential interstate travels aimed at containing the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was just as the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, emphasized the need for security agencies in the country to ensure a total enforcement of the Federal Government’s ban on interstate travels to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus disease.  

The Upper Chamber of the National Assembly therefore directed the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu and the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, to ensure full enforcement of the presidential orders and investigate the alleged complicity of their men in the breaches.

The resolution was sequel to a motion entitled “Need to Enforce Presidential Order Banning Non-Essential Interstate Movement”, sponsored by former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, at plenary.

Lawan, stressed the need for the enforcement of the Presidential Order banning Interstate Movement”, sponsored by Senator Ike Ekweremadu (PDP- Enugu West), stressed the need for total enforcement on the ban on interstate travels.

He said; “Apparently, there is so much breach, and it appears like our security agencies who are supposed to enforce this, in most cases appear to look helpless. They need to sit up.

“This is a very serious health challenge to our country, but beyond interstate, even the observance of social distancing, hygiene and other protocols sometimes suffer inside the states. 

“I think it is very important that citizens do this because it is for our sake. Government cannot be without citizens, and it is important at this point that we do this for our sake and that of our family members,” the Senate President appealed. 

Sponsor of the motion, Senator Ike Ekweremadu (PDP – Ekweremadu, lamented the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, which according to him, stands at 4,641 cases and 150 deaths. 

The former Deputy Senate President raised alarm that confirmed daily cases of the novel disease by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) are now in hundreds. 

He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari while relying on advisories by relevant authorities and powers conferred on him by Section 3 of the Quarantine Act, CAP Q2 Laws of the Federation 2004, issued the proclamation order for the ban on non-essential interstate passenger travels until further notice. 

Ekweremadu said; “The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has raised alarm over what it described as increased level of interstate movement, worsened by the dubious concealment of people in food-carrying vehicles.

“The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has equally raised serious concerns over the way Nigerians crisscross the country in their numbers despite the subsisting order to the contrary.”

Ekweremadu stressed that in view of the brazen breach of the presidential order, the nation’s security agencies, particularly the police, have the responsibility to enforce law and order, including the presidential ban on interstate movement.