SAN FRANCISCO, May 20, (THEWILL) – The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has rescinded an order restricting the movement of essential workers amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
There had been reports on how essential workers were restricted by policemen from moving within Lagos at the beginning of the 8 pm curfew imposed to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
According to security officials enforcing the order, health workers and journalists could not be allowed to move around after 8 pm.
However, in a statement late Tuesday, IGP Mohammed Adamu said essential workers can now go about their essential duties as he held a virtual conference, the first of its kind, with “strategic managers” of the police force.
At the end of the meeting, the police decided to implement “strict enforcement of inter-state movement restriction orders” in order to help curb the spread of the virus.
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Essential services can move interstate, “but that should be before 8 pm,” Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said on Tuesday. “Once it is 8 pm, it is a total lockdown. Whether essential services or not, interstate movement ceases by 8 pm.”
“All essential workers including Medical Personnel, Firefighters, Ambulance Services, Journalists, etc are exempted from the restriction of movement associated with both the partial lockdown and the national curfew across the Federation.
The IGP directed all “Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police and Commands Commissioners of Police to give effect to these exemptions whilst enforcing the restriction orders.”
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