- Urges Commercial Banks to increase number of active branches to support compliance with physical distancing directives
- Group demands compliance with easing of lockdown order
The CLEEN Foundation has urged the Nigerian government to take disciplinary actins against law enforcement agents who extort or receive bribe from citizens who engage in inter-state travel.
Nigerians had in defiance of the existing ban on inter-state travel move from one state to another with security agents manning the roads using the opportunity to extort these travelers.
In a survey carried out in all states in the country, the group observed that there has been non-compliance with the gradual easing of lockdown and disregard for social guidelines.
Adopting a triangulation approach involving the collection of primary data by our 37 state coordinators (including the FCT) and volunteers tracking COVID-19 developments across the states and from reliable secondary sources of information, CLEEN Foundation has received a total of 1,692 reports across the 774 LGAs in the six geopolitical zones
“Following the pronouncement by the President, some state governors followed suit by introducing new measures to ease the lockdown in their respective states. As of the time of this release, some states are still undergoing a total lockdown.
“Our observers in the South South, observed a high compliance with the sit-at-home order in the two local government areas under lockdown in Rivers state, namely Portharcourt and Obio-Akpor. In Edo state, there was a moderate compliance by citizens to the 8:00 pm to 6:00 pm curfew in most parts of the state. Although in some local government areas like Akoko Edo, Orhionmwon, and Owan West, citizens were seen violating the curfew rules.
“In the South West, it was observed that compliance to the 8:00 pm to 6:00 am curfew was reasonably high in Lagos state. Notwithstanding, the state recorded some violators as the Lagos Commissioner of Police indicated that 820 persons were arrested for violation of the curfew imposed on the state.
“Our observers in the North East observed that in Yobe state, military personnel were seen forcefully ensuring adherence to the curfew directives in Nguru LGA. However, in Potiskum, Geidam and Gashua LGAs of the state, a moderate enforcement of the curfew by the military was observed.
“In the North Central, our volunteers in the FCT observed partial compliance by citizens to the curfew directives. In Nassarawa state, with Nasarawa LGA as the only local government area on a total lockdown, there was high level of compliance with the sit-at-home order.
“In the South East, our volunteers have observed moderate compliance to the imposed dusk to dawn curfew in the five states across the region. However, in Enugu state, we observed a low compliance level by citizens especially in the rural areas of the state.
“In the North West, our observers noted that compliance by the citizens to government’s stay at home directives have been abysmally low and mostly haphazard in most of the states where the lock down is in force, particularly in Kano, Jigawa & Kaduna state.
It noted that about 51% of CLEEN Foundation’s observers noted a low to moderate compliance to government ban on public gathering. This was attributed to the high level of public rush to banks, a rise in economic activities, marriages, and burial ceremonies following the federal government relaxation of the stay-at-home order. There was unprecedented crowd in the FCT and Lagos state within the period.
The report showed that in an illegal activity, some officers were seen extorting the people who are traveling.
Security institutions and their oversight agencies are encouraged to sustain internal and external disciplinary measures to discipline personnel who are guilty of extorting citizens and violating human rights to serve as deterrent to other officers.
“In Bayelsa state, our observers reported that police personnel at Okaki junction (toll-gate) which is one of the boundaries between Rivers and Bayelsa in the eastern part of the state were seen extorting money from motorists to enable entry into the state.
“Some of these officers were however swiftly apprehended by the new Police leadership in the state. In Cross River state, it was observed that the taskforce set up by the state government were becoming less visible at the border points/tolls. This has resulted to free entry and exit from the state by citizens.
“In Ekiti state, reports from border LGAs such as Ikere, Emure, Ekiti South West, Moba, Ekiti West etc indicate that security agents extort money between N200 – N5000 from travelers to allow movement in and out of the state. A bus full of travelers allegedly from Sokoto state was intercepted at Afao-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun LGA within the period under review. Residents of Ondo state border communities also alleged that security officials are extorting money in exchange for free passage of travelers at night.
“In Kogi state, observers reported that security personnel were seen extorting money from transporters in the sum of 3000 naira each to allow passage through the Abaji/Lokoja expressway.
“Our volunteer from Oguta LGA in Imo state also reported that as early as 6.00am, vehicles from Omoku in Rivers State move in convoy to Onitsha via the Oguta Lake Pontoon Ferry and return back by 6.30pm every day. An average of N2,000 is paid for clearance.”
It stated that on the general conduct of the security personnel on COVID-19 duty, the observers were evenly divided as 50% rated the conduct of security personnel good/very good while 50% equally rated their conduct poor/fair.
CLEEN Foundation stated that there are insufficient testing centers in several states of the Federation with several citizens who are qualified to be tested yet to know their actual COVID-19 status and no clear indication on the status of our contact tracing, isolation and treatment of patients adding there is poor enforcement of Government directives on citizens by law enforcement agencies.
Commercial banks are encouraged to set up more branches especially in urban areas with high population as this will support social distancing measures by bank customers.
Also, religious centres and social gatherings have continued to operate in states with partial lockdown rules. Religious leaders and business owners should comply fully with government’s directives on COVID19.
“Security institutions and their oversight agencies are encouraged to sustain internal and external disciplinary measures to discipline personnel who are guilty of extorting citizens and violating human rights to serve as deterrent to other officers.
“The provision of testing centers in all the 36 states of the country remains an effective measure to stop the further spread of the coronavirus disease. State Governments are encouraged to establish more testing centres to improve early detection, isolation, treatment and higher recovery rates.
“Owners of hotels and other recreational centres are encouraged to conform completely with the preventive measures set by each respective state government,” CLEEN Foundation recommended.
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