The House of Representatives has frowned against the violation of interstate travel ban and want a special task force to be set up to monitor and implement the interstate lockdown. This is sequel a motion by the deputy Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, and 10 others, on the need for the effective enforcement of Inter-state lockdown by security agents.
The lawmakers are worried that at a time like this when movement is being restricted worldwide there are videos of massive movements of travellers mostly smuggled in trucks carrying food items or livestock from one part of the country to another, this a complete drawback to the COVID-19 containment effort.
According to the lawmakers, after due consultations with state governors, the Federal Government on the 27th of April 2020 announced among several regulations; the need to ban non-essential interstate passenger travels until further notice, overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am, excepting movement for essential services and controlled interstate movement of goods and services from producers to customers.
It also include the mandatory use of face mask in public places as well as maintaining physical distances and personal hygiene and restrictions on social and religious gatherings. “On several occasions, state government have intercepted trailer loads of people moving in the middle of night and sneaking into other states in this lockdown period, whereas there are supposed to be security agents at states borders implementing the presidential lockdown orders .
“There are serious reports of complicity of security agents who are supposed to be enforcers to the compliance of the orders of Mr. President on the interstate lockdown”, Elumelu stated.
