Police will prosecute lockdown violators irrespective of status

The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Ahmad Abdurrahman, says that the state police command will not tolerate complicity on strict enforcement of the state boundary closure.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement in Enugu on Thursday that the commissioner gave the warning on Wednesday when he addressed security operatives in Enugu/Ebonyi State border area.

Mr Ndukwe said that Mr Abdurrahman visited border security posts to ascertain the level of compliance and enforcement of the COVID-19 border closure and inter-states transportation and travel restriction orders.

“Following his observation that a good number of vehicles and persons were queued up and desiring to cross the border, the Commissioner took time to assess and grant access to exempted vehicles conveying essential goods and service providers, while turning back those not exempted.

“He charged security operatives posted at the border to stick with the rules of engagement and resist intolerable acts of complicity and complacency capable of jeopardizing the enforcement duty.

“He warned that anyone found wanting will be appropriately sanctioned. The CP also warned that anyone found violating the orders will be brought to book, irrespective of his/her class or status,’’ he said.

Mr Ndukwe said the commissioner wondered why some citizens seem not to have come to terms with the fact that COVID-19 not only exists but that it had fatal and devastating socio-economic impacts in countries of the world.

He said the state police boss called on residents to be law-abiding and compliant with the restriction orders as well as observe all the NCDC preventive measures.

The police spokesman said the commissioner was accompanied by Air Commodore Chidiebere Obiabaka, Commander, 558 Services Base Group of Nigeria Air Force, Enugu and senior police officers in the Command.