Covid-19: Niger bans movement inside, outside state

Bida (Niger) – The Niger Government has banned movements inside and outside the state, as from Saturday, March 28, in its efforts to prevent the entrance and spread of the dreaded Coronavirus, its health commissioner Maku Sidi said on Friday in Bida.

Maku said, that the state government had generally imposed a curfew to force people to comply to the non-movement order.

The commissioner, who decried the general non-compliance to the no-movement order in Bida, urged people to support government efforts to protect Niger residents from being infected by the pandemic.

He said that government officials and security agencies would take stringent measures to ensure total compliance to the no-movement order, especially in the urban areas.

The Commissioner said that security personnel and a task force had been deployed to Magama, Mokwa, Suleja, Lapai and Rafi local government areas that share borders with Kebbi, Kaduna, Kogi, FCT and Kwara states, to ensure total compliance with the stay-at-home order.

Gov Abubakar Bello had, on March 23, imposed a curfew which runs from 8.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.

“The state government is changing the curfew time; instead of 8.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m., it will now run from 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. daily, as from March 28, to allow members of the public to meet daily needs without clustering together.

“The restriction order will continue until further notice.

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“We have since embarked on aggressive sensitisation to mobilise residents to support the government efforts toward preventing the spread of coronavirus among residents.

“We have already reached out to traditional and religion leaders as well as other stakeholders to mobilise residents to cooperate and adhere to health instructions of washing hands with soap and running water and keeping hygienic environments,” he said.

Maku, however, expressed dismay over the non-compliance with the curfew in Bida town, but added that security agencies had been mandated to enforce it.

“I have just spoken with the Chairman of Bida Local Government and we agreed on how to deal with the situation at hand.

“We will also reach out to traditional rulers as well as market leaders; we want everyone to cooperate with the security personnel deployed to enforce the order,” he said.

Socio-economic activities were at their peak with shops, super markets, motor parks and petrol filling stations busy with usual activities.

Some residents preparing for wedding celebrations and the Friday Congregational prayers.

Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, a native of Mokwa, said in Bida that he was at the ancient town for the wedding ceremony of his senior brother.

“I am aware of the order restricting movement, but this wedding is so dear to me that I can’t afford to miss it,” an excited Abubakar told NAN.

He, however, called for adequate publicity to sensitise rural dwellers on preventive measures to be adopted to avoid the deadly pandemic that has killed one persons and infected many others in the country. (NAN)