Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown Extension: Corps Marshal Orders Commanding Officers to Re- Strategise, Step Up Enforcement, Arrest Violators, and Impound Unauthorized Vehicles
Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s extension of the current lockdown in Lagos, Ogun States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory Abuja for another 14days effective from 11:59 Monday 13 April, 2020; the Corps Marshal Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has ordered Commanding Officers across the country to step up ongoing enforcement on restrictions and physical distancing amongst vehicle occupants and carry out the Presidential directives holistically by impounding at sight any vehicle found violating the orders.
According to Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Public Education Officer, the Corps Marshal’s directive is to reiterate the commitment of the Federal Riad Safety Corps towards sustaining existing collaborations with the Federal and State Governments in the fight against the ravaging Coronavirus, and further ensure that the order on restrictions are diligently and effectively enforced with all sense of professionalism, civility and resilience.
He added that the alarming upsurge in deaths and spread of the virus across the globe which the Federal Government is working round the clock to subdue in Nigeria, is not an operation the Corps is ready to treat with kids gloves. As such, the Corps Marshal’s order to Commanding Officers is to ensure the full utilisation of the work force through effective deployment of personnel to arrest without hesitation, any motorist who contravenes the National Order on Stay at Home.
Expectedly, Oyeyemi also ordered that except the vehicles and the occupants are accredited essential workers with proof of identification, Commanding Officers must ensure that the vehicles are impounded and the occupants handed over to the Police for prosecution in the Court of Law for contravening the Presidential Order on restrictions, social distance and stay at home.
While warning citizens to comply with the restriction order or face the wrath of the law, Oyeyemi also advised essential workers who might be tempted to compromise with the physical distance directives in vehicles to restrain from such as the virus does not discriminate nor spare anybody irrespective of class or profession.
