The National Orientation Agency has raised the alarm that some young people in Nasarawa State were forcing and harassing some COVID-19 compliant residents to remove their face masks.

The Director-General of NOA, Garba Abari, stated this on Thursday in Abuja, while presenting the agency’s observations and report on the 4th and 5th sensitization interventions against the coronavirus disease epidemic in Nigeria.

Abari said, “Our field officers especially in Nasarawa State have observed the activities of some youths who go about forcing people to remove their face masks because according to them, the virus is not existing.”

He, therefore, called on government functionaries and the traditional institutions to work with the law enforcement agencies to curb the disturbing trend.

The DG also called on states and local government officials to complement the efforts of the Federal Government by commencing rigorous sensitization and advocacy programmes to let their citizens know that the disease is real.

He said, ” We must note that the general easing of the lockdown does not mean an end to the scourge. It simply means that we can live our lives by taking individual and community responsibility.

“We appeal to states and local government officials to begin sensitization in schools in view of the partial resumption of schools. Service providers should also ensure that customers are reminded to observe the precaution measures especially the use of sanitizers and face masks. ”

He expressed the hope that the partial reopening of schools to enable students in the exit classes to write their final examinations would help the management of schools to adopt practices that would lead to better hygiene and greater safety in schools.