Anambra: Police threaten to arrest violators over sspension of ‘Egwu Imo Awka:’

The Anambra State Police Command has warned that it will not hesitate to enforce the order of Anambra State Government in suspending celebration of a pagan festival by Awka people.

The state government had in a public service announce­ment signed by the Secretary to the State Government said that “taking cognisance of prevailing federal govern­ment curfew order and state government order on public gatherings, World Health Or­ganisation (WHO), and Nige­ria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines on prevent­ing the spread of COVID-19 it hereby suspend 2020 Egwu Imo Awka cultural festival”.

It also extended the suspen­sion to other cultural festivals in Anambra state and warned that the public, traditional rulers, Presidents-General, custodians and organisers of such festivals will be held re­sponsible should the festivals go ahead.

Sensing that the people will defy an order by the govern­ment banning the celebration of Egwu Imo Awka, the state Police command warned that it was determined to enforce the order to the letter and will, therefore, not hesitate to arrest and prosecute any individual or group of persons found vi­olating the order made in the overall interest of ‘Ndi Anam­bra’ and other residents alike. (Daily Independent)