COVID-19 CURFEW: Police Backpedals, Now Exempts Medical Workers, Journalists, Others From Restriction Order – READ FULL STATEMENT

The Nigerian Police Command has issued a statement clarifying the categories of persons on essential duties that should be exempted from the COVID-19 lockdown curfew.

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The statement by the police authority reversed itself on the earlier statement released to the effect that no one was exempted from the curfew declared by President Muhammadu Buhari including Doctors, Nurses, Journalists etc.

These categories of essential workers were harassed and intimidated by the police on the streets of Lagos that prompted the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to order its members to sit-at-home with effect from 6pm on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.

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The strike action of the NMA compelled the Police to release another Press Statement to clarify further that it has exempted the Medical Personnel, Journalists, Ambulances etc from the restriction list of the curfew.

The directive was contained in their Official Twitter Page monitored by SOJ WORLDWIDE on Wednesday evening after the strike action of the NMA took off.

POLICE PRESS STATEMENT

ENFORCEMENT OF NATIONAL CURFEW/INTER-STATE MOVEMENT RESTRICTION ORDERS

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Following unending inquiries on the status of essential workers in respect of the due enforcement of the national curfew and inter-state movement restriction orders emplaced by the Federal Government, it has become necessary to clear all ambiguity on the position of the Nigeria Police Force especially as it relates to persons on essential duties.

The Force wishes to state that it is not oblivious of the sensitive, indispensable, patriotic & frontline roles of the nation’s workforce that falls within the category of Essential Service Providers particularly as it relates to efforts to curtail & contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

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To this effect, all essential workers including medical personnel, ambulance service providers, journalists, fire-fighters, etc remain exempted from the movement restriction orders as well as the national curfew.

Consequently, the Inspector General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has directed Zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and State Command Commissioners of Police to give maximum effect to these orders and extend due courtesies to essential service providers so affected and also ensure that personnel deployed for the enforcement duties respect the fundamental rights of the citizens.

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Meanwhile, the IGP enjoins all workers who fall within these categories not to take undue advantage of their positions and privileges to advance other purposes not connected with the performance of their duties within the stated period.”

www.sojworldnews.com (c) May 21, 2020