For the third time, Sokoto State has imposed a ban on interstate travels to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The state, which had no confirmed case of coronavirus as at March 27 when the movement on restriction was first introduced, has so far recorded 19 cases.
The index case confirmed on April 20 has no travel history, while eight of the 10 confirmed cases were his contacts.
There are concerns over community transmission especially with the first confirmed case not knowing how he contracted the virus.
The first interstate travel ban which limited movements to essential services only, such as food and medicines, was effective March 27-April 10; the second April 10 to April 24; and the third from midnight April 24.
With security points at Kuchi, Alasan, Sanyinna, Malisa, Bimasa, Jabo, Gada, Sabon Birni, Illela and Raba, the state stationed combined teams of security men to enforce the restriction order. At the same time, health officials conduct temperature test for any person coming into the state who was on the exempted list.
During the initial period of the ban, there were allegations of compromise with many non-essential travels noted to have been made.
Some persons who travelled during the period claimed passengers in commercial vehicle paid between N500 to N1, 000 to be allowed to pass.
But a more responsive control saw some violators of the order arrested. For instance, from April 11 to 14 a total of 27 violators of the restriction order were arrested by the Joint Task Force Patrol Team while patrolling the Sokoto – Zamfara border.
The state Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, also nabbed a bus conveying eight passengers out of the state and handed them over to the police commissioner for prosecution.
Caliphate Trust’s visit to some checkpoints during the first extension period revealed busy moments with security personnel and health officials conducting checks at entry points.
However, some travellers beat the security checks by disembarking from the vehicles before the checkpoint and crossing on foot to the other side to join it again. The driver of the vehicles would pass the security post empty only to reload the waiting passengers.
A resident Kajiji in Shagari Local Government Area, Abdurrahman Muhammad, said they witnessed an influx of different faces coming to Kajiji, going to other places and lauded the efforts of security personnel at the checkpoint.
However, as Sokoto commences another extension of the ban on inter-state movements, many in the state have advised the government to tighten the control measure if it is to achieve its objectives.
Governor Aminu Tambuwal has said this time around, the enforcement of the ban on non-essential travel must not be compromised.
He also urged communities sharing borders with Niger Republic and other states to cooperate with security agencies to ensure that nobody entered the state during the period of the travel ban.
Remarkably, the first three days of the latest extension of the ban, the Sokoto State Border Closure Compliance Monitoring Committee led by Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Sani Kaoje arrested 35 people and impounded two trailers and seven other vehicles.
The committee also directed the isolation and subsequent testing of all apprehended violators.
It enjoined the people of the state to comply strictly with the border closure order as it is in the best interest of the state.
Some Sokoto residents said they were encouraged by developments and expressed hope that the COVID-19 travel restriction order would meet the objective of limiting the spread of the novel virus.
“The restriction of movement is essential because the more people keep trooping into the state, the riskier for us, especially as many show no symptoms,” one of the residents, Adamu Abubakar, stated.
“It is, therefore, our hope that the measure is implemented to the letter to avoid cases slipping through.”
This piece is with support of WSCIJ COVID-19 Reality Check Project
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