Ober 150 travelers have been arrested by security operatives in Enugu State for defying the lockdown order imposed by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
According to Punch, over 30 vehicles were equally impounded by joint security operatives including the Army, Police and the men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps at the Enugu-Benue-Kogi border communities.
Some of the affected commuters claimed that hunger drove them away from their states.
One of them, who identified himself as Peter from Benue State, was quoted to have said:
“I’m aware of the order but hunger is killing me. That is why I have to come out”.
Another defaulting traveller said:
“I crossed Bonny River to escape from Port-Harcourt. Enugu is not my destination; I’m on my way to Kano, my home, it is better for me to die there. Hunger is killing me”.
He said they beat the tight border security post at Amala, Obollo-Afor in Udenu Local Government Area by taking a walk through the Benue axis to Obollo-Afor from where they boarded vehicles.
We learnt that the defaulters were turned back and escorted out of the state by a team of security agencies.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned President Muhammadu Buhari against any further extension of the lockdown.
This is after that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) approved the implementation of another 14 days nationwide lockdown in the 36 states.