The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has barred persons who work in Abuja but reside in neighbouring states from entering the capital city.
Majority of workers in government offices and private establishments in the capital city reside in satellite towns within the territory and neighbouring states, especially Nasarawa and Niger states.
The ban on the entry into the city was contained in the new guidelines issued by the minister after a stakeholders’ meeting on the COVID-19 pandemic.
- COVID-19: Buhari allows 6am-8pm movements in states
- What Nigerians must do to avoid COVID-19 spread as economy re-opens
“FCTA will vigorously enforce the overnight curfew from 8:00pm to 6:00 am, and in order to prevent possible patients of COVID-19 from coming into the territory, we will also enforce very strictly, the ban on interstate travel.
“Similarly, all workers who reside outside the FCT have been directed to remain in their respective states of residence until the ban on interstate travel is lifted,” a statement by Mr. Anthony Ogunleye, the Chief Press Secretary to the minister said.
Also, after a security meeting on Saturday, Bello said: “I must caution and warn that anybody who, for any reason, flouts the directives of the government and is arrested, the full wrath of the law will fall on that person because we will not allow a few citizens who are not conscious of the wellbeing of the majority of other citizens to put all of us at risk.”
The minister added that the security agencies have reviewed their strategies on enforcing the ban on interstate travel and have adopted new ones to ensure its complete compliance.
“We also realized that one weak area that has confronted us is the fact that enforcement of the inter-state movement has not been very successful and that’s an area where if we are not very careful, will make it very difficult for us to prevent infection by people who are visiting the FCT from other parts of the country.
“By the same token also, if the enforcement is not very strong, infected people from the FCT will also move out to other states. At the end of the day, nationally, we all lose,” he said.
The Minister added that the security agencies will deploy additional personnel and resources to all the entry points using coordinated joint teams to be headed by very senior officers to ensure that the enforcement of the directive is carried out totally while being conscious of those that are permitted to move around.
Malam Bello also reminded residents that the security and medical personnel have been working hard on the frontlines and that residents can show appreciation by obeying all established health and security protocols.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
