The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Undie Adie, has admonished residents and those in transit through the state on the need to adhere strictly to the order of the dusk-to-dawn curfew declared by President Muhammadu Buhari.
While emphasizing that the command will be aggressive with anyone caught violating the order, Adie said that the use of force became imperative following the abuse of persuasion by residents that was earlier employed by police in the state.
Disclosing this in a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state, Adie said that “We want inter-State travelers across the country and especially those with the aim of coming into or through Ondo State to know that Ondo Police Command will this time strictly enforce the 8pm till dawn curfew imposed by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in his recent broadcast on COVID19.
Adie said the Command regrets its use of persuasion to encourage citizens to keep to the Stay at home and the Social distancing order of the State government as some citizens abuse it to a more disgraceful and disdained manner.
“With the daily discovery of new index cases across the country, the Command would this time be a little more aggressive to enforce the curfew.
He added that, “If we don’t apply some drastic measures to drive home these directives and we continue to allow people wander from state to state with little or no reason to travel we would end up blaming ourselves at the long run; but lest we do that our option now is the use of proportionate force to ensure people obey the order”
He further said those who think they can hide under the umbrella of trucks carrying food items or some other essential commodities into the State should prepare to face the wrath of the law if they are caught.
The police commissioner also called on the management of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, to direct its workers to strictly obey the directives of government as his Command would not hesitate to impound and prosecute occupants of any inter-State buses found in Ondo State during the period.
Adie maintained that he has ordered his Area Commanders, DPOs and Heads of other formations of the Command to carry out intensive and aggressive foot and vehicular patrols across the State to prevent any untoward experiences.