Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has announced a 24-hour total lockdown and a dusk to dawn curfew in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas as part of the State Government’s measures to check the spread of coronavirus.
This comes as other metropolitan cities; Lagos and Abuja ease lockdowns after one month.
But Governor Wike in a statewide broadcast said with the declaration, all residents of Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City Local Government Areas must stay at home.
“Consequently, we have decided on the extreme measure of placing the entire Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City Local Government Areas under a 24 hours total lockdown from Thursday 7th May 2020 until further notice.
“On no account should there be any vehicular movements or gathering of more than two persons in these Local Government Areas, except those on essential services with appropriate authorization;
“All shops, trading or business activities, including currency exchange, in these Local Government Areas must also remain closed until further notice.
“All Landlords are advised to ensure that no shop or trading activity is opened or carried out in or around their premises or risk the confiscation of their property by the Government.
“Any person, group or institution that violates the lockdown and curfew in these Local Government Areas will be made to face the full wrath of the law. ”
The Rivers State Governor also directed the immediate arrest and prosecution of Chief B.A. Worgu and Mr. Isaiah Abraka for sneakily organizing night markets in defiance to an existing ban on such activity.