Police ready to enforce ‘stay-at-home’ order

Police on Wednesday announced that it would enforce the Lagos State government’s order that citizens should shutdown markets, shopping malls, eateries and other businesses to check the spread of coronavirus.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bala Elkana, said in a statement that the command had in the last six days, deployed its resources across the state to ensure that the guidelines and directives issued by the federal and state governments to prevent the spread of coronavirus were fully obeyed.

He said: “The enforcement team had shut down eight clubs, 15 schools, six event centres and eight places of worship for noncompliance with the directives issued by Lagos State government on March 20.  The enforcement will now be extended to all markets and stores, except markets that are selling food items, water, medicine, pharmacies, medical equipment and other related essential lifesaving products, with effect from Thursday March 26.”

Elkana added that corporate bodies such as financial institutions, telecommunication companies and businesses were not affected in the lockdown.

The PPRO said the aforementioned corporate bodies should also ensure that their employees and clients were not more than 25 at a time.

He added: “Staff should be posted to Automated Teller Machine (ATM) galleries to ensure that customers using the services space themselves to avoid body contact. Eateries should also encourage their customers to ‘take away services’ and those who must sit in the restaurant or eatery should apply the required spacing guidelines. Eateries should not have more than 25 persons at a time, including their staff.

“Also, hotels should only operate lodging and accommodation services with minimal number of staff on duty while conferences and event halls, swimming pools and other services attracting crowds should be suspended in line with the order and directives of the government.”

Elkana said the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, enjoined the Lagosians to obey the safety regulations put in place by government for the benefit of everyone.

He said that violators would be dealt with in line with extant laws.