Coronavirus: Police set to crack down on all social gatherings in Lagos

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Hakeem Odumosu, on Saturday, directed all Divisional Police Officers to release minor offenders in their custody.

The directive came on the heels of steps taken by the federal and state governments to tackle the pandemic which had killed about 13,000 people globally as of Saturday and sickened over 298,000 persons.

Lagos is currently attending to 22 infected persons and has banned social gatherings, clubs, parties, ceremonies and religious gatherings of more than 20 persons to arrest the spread of the virus.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Bala Elkana, in a statement on Saturday said the CP, in compliance with the guidelines and directives issued by the government would enforce the ban.

The statement read, "To that effect, the command has deployed adequate resources across the state to ensure that the orders are fully obeyed. The order imposed bans on social gatherings such as weddings, naming ceremonies, burials, parties, clubs and religious gatherings of people more than 20.

"Commercial vehicles carrying passengers above capacity (overloading) are also part of this order. Members of the public are encouraged to avoid overcrowding themselves at bus stops, market places, business places and scene of incidents."

Odumosu urged people to obey the safety regulations put in place, noting that the command had rolled out its medical team to market places for awareness creation and police detention facilities to ensure the safety of suspects.

He said, "The Commissioner of Police has ordered the immediate release of suspects arrested for minor offences as part of preventive measures. Together we can prevent the spread of COVID-19."

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