Lokoja/Ilorin
The Muslim community in Kogi state and their counterparts in the neighbouring Kwara state on Friday, complied with the order suspending Jummat prayer to check the spread of coronavirus the state.
The online publication reports that though kogi has not recorded any reported coronavirus case since the pandemic disease broke out in Wuhan city in China, December 2019, COVIF-19,has however spread to 198 countries globally.
A correspondent of Duaglobalnews, who visited the Lokoja Central Mosque, located in the heart of the confluence town, reports that the mosque was deserted by Muslims during Jummat prayer.
The online investigation revealed that immediately kogi state government gave the order for the suspension of the Jummat prayer,the Ulamas(religious leaders), held meeting where they resolved to give bite to the order.
They resolved to convey the order to their followers and ensure compliance.
The same atmosphere prevailed in Ilorin, Kwara state, where all the mosques our visited were under lock and key during Jummat prayer sequel to such order in that state for similar reason.
On the restriction of human and vehicular movement, our correspondent further reports that most streets within Ilorin, the state capital were devoid of the usual hurstling and burstling human traffic.
Besides commercial vehicles disappearing from roads, police personnel were seen all over the places to ensure compliance the order, particularly at the roundabout along Tanke-University road noted for heavy traffic.
Our Correspondent who also visited some motor parks in the area noted that the parks became their shadow as commuters obeyed the sit-at-home order.
The popular Oja Oba market was also deserted when our correspondent visited the place where many shops were locked up.
Many residents who spoke with our correspondent described the order as a right step in the right direction,given the acceleration in the spread of the Covid-19 globally.
The Commissioner of Police Command in Kwara state, Mr Kayode Egbetokun supervised enforcement on restriction order, according to the Police Public Relations Officer for the command, DSP. Ajayi Okasanmi.
The police image maker told our correspondent, in a chat, that his boss deployed massive personnel to ensure effective compliance with order.
“There was massive deployment of police personnel all over the state and the enforcement is under the strict supervision of the Commissioner of police himself.
Speaking about the level of compliance, Okasanmi described public response as encouraging.
:”You know it is just starting, compliance is however encouraging,” he said.
On the challenges facing the police in exercising their duties, he said, “The challenges,most times, is the tendency of some citizens who want to wait till eleventh hour before complying, waiting to observe police action.”
He, however, called on the people to see the restriction as not an infringement on their foundamental human right, but a conscious effort to guard against the spread of coronsvirus to the state.
Okasanmi expressed the readiness of police to enforce the order but called for the cooperation of the public to ensure a free COVID-19 kawara state and Nigeria at large.
