EXCLUSIVE: How commuters sneak into Kwara despite boundaries closure

Residents of some South-Western states, including Lagos – the epicentre of the Coronavirus in Nigeria – have reportedly been sneaking into Kwara State despite closure of local and external borders amidst ramped up efforts to block entries into the state.

The Kwara State Government had on April 2 announced the immediate shutting down of all entry points into the state to prevent the outbreak of novel coronavirus.

“The government hereby announces the shutting down of all our land borders to ban movement to the state from elsewhere. The only exemptions to this rule are those stated in the address of Mr President. Specifically, these are vehicles carrying agricultural produce, medical equipments, and officials on essential duties related to COVID-19 campaign,” Kwara Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi said while annoucing the boundaries closure.

However, investigation by THE INFORMANT247 revealed that several commuters have been sneaking in and out of the state, defying the government’s order.

Facts gathered by THE INFORMANT247 showed that the out-of-state residents would fix either Monday, Wednesday or Friday for their journey, knowing fully well that local residents have continued to defy the state government’s new “cessation of vehicles’ movement” order within the state.

THE INFORMANT247 further gathered that commuters coming from Ibadan in Oyo state — which is not under lockdown — have an easy ride through Ogbomoso (Oyo State) to Gambari-Otte which is the boundary between Oyo and Kwara, due to tight enforcement of lockdown in Kwara, drivers would instead of taking the long straight route to Eiyenkorin, pass through a diversion just before Gambari-Otte Police Station which leads to a community called “Lasoju”, then straight to Eiyenkorin, thereby beating every security checkpoints.

One of the travellers who boarded a taxi with a correspondent of THE INFORMANT247 narrated how she managed to enter Kwara from Ibadan, “You see, it is very easy once your driver knows his way. As you see me, I’m just coming home from Ibadan for Ramadan. The bus I came with is heading back to Lagos now. Our driver gave a community commercial motorcyclist N500 and he lead us through a shortcut from Otte to Eiyenkorin, No single security roadblock was sighted.”

When questioned further by our correspondent — who did not reveal his identity — on how other commuters would manage get home from Eiyenkorin, she said, “We all know Kwara is usually not lockdown on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so we intentionally fix our journeys in one of these days. So from Eiyenkorin to anywhere within Ilorin Metropolis is easy.”

NSCDC accosts 7 commercial vehicles from Lagos, arrests passengers

Meanwhile, operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kwara State Command on Monday intercepted seven fully loaded commercial vehicles entering the Kwara from Lagos.

According to a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Ayeni Olasunkanmi, he dislosed that all occupants of the seven vehicles were arrested for violating the government’s lockdown directive.

Olasunkanmi said, “The drivers and passengers were arrested for violating the stay-at-home restriction by the government.

“All arrested persons have been taken to Sango Magistrates’ Court, Ilorin, for proper prosecution.

“Most of the vehicles moving around town during this lockdown are those that were allowed by the government, such as the medical personnel, farmers, journalists and others, but they are identified by their Identity card.”

Ilorin residents ignore Kwara govt’s new order, troop out

Likewise, THE INFORMANT247 reported that residents of Ilorin have continued to defy the Kwara State Government’s new lockdown order despite threat from security operatives.

Our correspondent observed residents went contrary to the government’s directive in most part of the metropolis.

It’s observed that while the markets were fully opened, traders also displayed their goods by the roadside.

Commercial and private morists defied the cessation of movement order.

Police arrest, prosecute lockdown violators

However, The Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, Dsp Ajayi Okasanmi told THE INFORMANT247 that the police arrested about thirty violators of the lockdown order by the state government on Monday.

Okasanmi who denied allegations that the police abandoned the roads, added that the state’s commissioner for police led an enforcement team that impounded vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles.

Okasanmi said, “The police is not the only security agency enforcing the lockdown order, all other security agencies in the state are involved, it is not correct to insinuate that the police have abandoned the roads and not supporting the government in its efforts to enforce the stay at home order.

“The Commissioner of police personally led the enforcement exercise today, where many vehicles, Keke and motorcycles were impounded and violators arrested, thirty lockdown violators were charged to court today in Ilorin, reports from other parts of the state are still been awaited. The police never abandoned the roads, neither has the force cleared the roads of road blocks for easy passage by violators.

“The people of Kwara themselves must make up their minds to support the efforts of the State government in mitigating the spread of the covid19 pandemic in the state by obeying the executive order of stay at home, rather than shifting the blames of their non compliance on the police.

“The Command is ready as always to support the State Government in carrying all lawful orders to ensure the safety of lives and property of people of Kwara.”