…Vows To Enforce Curfew To The Letter, Prosecute Violators
Amidst growing concerns over the spread of the novel COVID-19 pandemic, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Undie Adie, has warned inter state travelers across the country, and especially those planning to come into or through the Sunshine State, that the state police command with the aim of coming will strictly enforce the 8pm till dawn curfew imposed by President Muhammadu Buhari in his recent broadcast on COVID-19.
In a statement signed by the state police spokesman, ASP Tee-Leo Ikoro, CP Adie regretted that some citizens of the state disdainfully and disgracefully abused the command’s use of persuasion to encourage citizens to stay at home and observe the social distancing directive of the state government.
He therefore said that with the daily discovery of new cases of COVID-19 across the country, the Ondo State Police Command would this time be a little more aggressive to enforce the curfew.
The CP was quoted as saying, “If we don’t apply some drastic measures to drive home these directives and we continue to allow people wander from state to state with little or no reason to travel, we would end up blaming ourselves at the long run; but lest we do that our option now is the use of proportionate force to ensure that people obey the order.”
The police boss warned those who think they can hide under the umbrella of trucks carrying food items or some other essential commodities into the state to be prepared to face the full wrath of the law if they are caught.
Consequently, he called on the leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, to direct their workers to strictly obey the directives of government, as his Command would not hesitate to impound any inter-state buses found in the state and also prosecute occupants of such vehicles.
The statement added that the Police Commissioner has ordered Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and heads of other formations of the Command to carry out intensive and aggressive foot and vehicular patrols across the state to prevent any untoward experiences.
