COVID-19: Police To Seal Abuja Motor Parks If ….

Matthew Ogune, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Police Command has threatened to seal all motor parks in the nation’s capital if the operators fail to obey the  Coronavirus lockdown order.

FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja, while addressing operators of motor parks at the command.

He said motorists and travelers must adhere to the social distancing directive as one of the measures to curb the transmission of COVID-19 across the territory.

Ciroma explained that most of the vehicles carry passengers in the night at the parks and leave before full activities of the day start, describing it as a worrisome situation that was causing spread of the disease.

“Motor Park owners and operators  know that there is a lockdown in Abuja, but it has been observed that only in the day time that the order is being observed, the park owners have created emergency parks and receive people from long journey around 2.a.m. and 3a.m.

“Police men and officers have  been deployed to your parks yet you people have formed new parks in other locatio., If this is not checked people from other locations will bring the disease into FCT, and if we have the disease here we will take it to other location. But our concern is to ensure that the situation is well prevented in the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

He said COVID-19 cases that are being recorded in some places were as a result of those that come into FCT or go out, and are suspected to have the virus which they spread to innocent residents.

The CP regretted the flouting of the lockdown order by motorists mostly in Utako and Jabi motor parks against the order imposed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ciroma revealed that the command had impounded 14 vehicles since the inception of the COVID-19 lockdown, saying the vehicles will not be released to the owners till the end of lockdown.

Responding on behalf of the motor park operators, the manager luxury bus park Utako, Buruche Julius urged the commissioner of Police to provide exemption pass for the members to assist the police in monitoring activities of it members.