Kaduna State Government has announced total lockdown of the state with effect from midnight.
The state Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, made the announcement in a statewide broadcast on Thursday.
” From midnight of Thursday, 26th March 2020, all residents of Kaduna State are quarantined and must stay at home.
“No office, event centre, market, shop or business of any sort or place of worship is allowed to open.
“The only category of persons exempted are workers in essential services such as health workers, the fire service and security personnel.
“Tankers conveying fuel to petrol stations are also permitted to move.
“We recognise that Kaduna State is a transport hub. Therefore, transit through Kaduna will be allowed, provided that such vehicles ply only the Western bye-pass.”
She warned that security agencies would be deployed to impose the curfew.
“Therefore, these emergency measures will be strictly enforced by the security agencies.
“They have clear directives for the immediate arrest, detention and prosecution of any person that violates these measures.
“Churches and mosques will be shut, there will be no congregational prayers or services of worship either within these places of worship or in their immediate outdoors.
“The circumstances of the moment dictate that the worship of God must be conducted in the privacy of our homes, for now.
“Wedding events and all social gatherings are strictly prohibited while these emergency measures remain in place.”
The deputy governor said any worship centre that violates the curfew risks forfeiture of its land title.
“Let it be clear that any place of worship, event centre or building that hosts social gatherings will be in violation of its term of grant and therefore risks forfeiting its title to the land and having the site of the offence removed in the public interest.
“This is a dangerous moment, and we cannot risk the lives of the many to indulge the delusions of a few.”
According to her, Government recognises that the lockdown will have consequences on everyone, most especially the vulnerable.
“As indicated in previous statements, the government is procuring food and other supplies, funded from its contingency budget, to mitigate the challenges of a lockdown for such persons.
‘‘’These items will be distributed in community clusters across urban local government areas in the state.
“This will be a grassroots exercise, as it is people drawn from the the target community that will constitute the committee to manage the distribution,’’ she explained.(NAN)
