The Senate:

Alarmed at the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, which currently stands at 4,641 cases and 150 deaths;

Also alarmed that confirmed daily cases of COVID-19 by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC is now in hundreds;

Aware that the President, in his wisdom and relying on advisories by relevant authorities and powers conferred on him by Section 3 of the Quarantine Act, CAP Q2 Laws of the Federation 2004 issued the Proclamation Order on the General Management of COVID-19 banning non-essential inter-state passenger travels until further notice in order to contain the deadly novel Coronavirus;

Also aware of the presidential order declaring dusk to dawn curfew all over the country;

Seriously worried by the numerous reports and trending videos on the flagrant breach of the curfew and interstate travel

Aware that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has raised alarm over what it described as “Increased level of interstate movement, worsened by the dubious concealment of people in food-carrying vehicles”.

Further aware that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum has equally raised serious concerns over the way Nigerians crisscross the country in their numbers despite the subsisting order to the contrary;

Conscious of the very grave implications of the brazen breach of the presidential order restricting interstate movements;

Equally Conscious of the fact that the nation’s security agencies, particularly the police, have the responsibility to enforce law and order, including the presidential ban on interstate movement.

Very worried about reports of alleged complicity in the said breaches by those who are supposed to enforce compliance with the directives of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces;

Therefore resolves to:

i. Condemn in strongest terms the barefaced breach of the presidential order on interstate movements.

ii. Enjoin Nigerians to strictly comply with these orders for their own safety and to quicken the nation’s victory over the COVID-19 pandemic.

iii. Direct the Inspector-General of Police, Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and heads of all security agencies charged with enforcing the ban on interstate travel to investigate the alleged complicity of their officers in the breach of the curfew and ban non-essential interstate travels and bring to book anyone found wanting.

iv. Direct the Inspector-General of Police and the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to fully enforce presidential orders on curfew and ban on non-essential interstate travel as well as ensure that their various commands cooperate with respective State authorities in enforcing the presidential orders and other protocols aimed at rolling back the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, PhD, CFR