As the federal and some state governments enforce a lockdown, restricting movement to control the spread of the new coronavirus (also called COVID-19) pandemic, scores of law enforcement agents manning checkpoints may be at risk as they work without personal protective equipment (PPE). The agents are also battling logistics crisis and an overwhelming rate of violation of traffic rules mostly by commercial motorists trying to survive amidst the lockdown. Our survey across over 20 checkpoints in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State showed that many security agents may be at risk of contracting the coronavirus due to these hurdles.

Transport: ‘How we suffer going to work’ Patrick Okorie is a police officer with Utako Division in Abuja but resides in Mararaba, a Nasarawa State town bordering the FCT. However, as part of the team enforcing the lockdown, he has to find a way to get to his station very early to join the official vehicle designated to a particular checkpoint for that day. “I have to be ready latest by 6am and get a vehicle that would convey me to Abuja.

This is very difficult as the restriction stops all commercial vehicles from operating,” Okorie noted. Like Okorie, Margaret John lives in Kubwa but serves in Abuja town. “What I later devised after two weeks of the lockdown is that our colleague who has a car, gives us a lift. But it was not easy initially.”

President Muhammadu Buhari had initially declared a lockdown of Lagos, Ogun States and Abuja on March 30 for a 14-day period. By 13th of April, he extended the order by another 14 days which will elapse on Monday April 27, 2020. On 2nd of April, the Nasarawa State government imposed a 24-hour curfew on Karu Local Government Area (LGA) for an initial 14 days and its has continued. Operatives without PPEs Aliyu Isa is a vigilante group member working with a team at the checkpoint in Mararaba but he has no facemask. “We have been promised that we will get facemasks but for now they are not there for many of us,” he revealed.

Daily Trust, however, observed on Wednesday afternoon that almost all the VIOs had yellow facemasks at checkpoints at Mabushi, the National Mosque at Central Area, AYA at Asokoro, NICON Junction at Maitama, and the military checkpoint at Kugbo. However, only a few police officials were observed to have black facemasks around these routes, and others including the Nyanya checkpoint which is the boundary between the FCT and Nasarawa State on the Abuja-Keffi expressway. At the checkpoint, officials of Nasarawa State COVID-19 taskforce were seen checking the body temperature of commuters. While the health officials have facemasks, many of the others including military personnel did not wear any.

At other checkpoints along Mararaba and Masaka route in the state, there were fewer operatives that had safety kits, oftentimes coming in closer contact with commuters. Some who had did not wear it. Matthew Sambo, an operative said it was difficult using the mask especially as they stood in the scorching sun, sweating profusely while screening road users.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/covid-19-security-agents-lack-safety-kits-face-other-hurdles-in-abuja-nasarawa.html

Hmmm.ok

It's true, I know this cause I live in nassarawa 10 kilometers to Abuja.
Most of the task force going round to make sure people obey the order are not wearing face or gloves and social distancing is not practice by them.
If you are caught with your shop open they have a. Mini bus which they use in packing people no matter the number of offenders

Yes, I witnessed this. Nasarawa government is unresponsive on Covid 19