Lockdown: FCTA Reduces Market Days, Sets Up Mobile Court To Try Violators

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has set up mobile courts to try violators of the lockdown order aimed at checking the spread of COVID-19.

The administration has also reduced the number of market days from three to two, allowing the citizens to shop for essential goods on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

In a statement by the FCT COVID-19 Security Committee, chaired by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, the administration advised residents  to patronize only neighbourhood markets.

It warned against movement from one district to another, saying such act constituted a violation of the lockdown.

The committee said the new directives followed the lack of adherence to the lockdown order in satellite towns.

It  added that “over the past few days, adherence to the lockdown directives at the city centre has also deteriorated.

“Residents have used the excuse of going to the markets to flout the lockdown directives and traders selling non-essential food commodities have also used this window to open their shops in clear violation of the directives not to do so.

“Despite the directives that residents should patronize neighbourhood shops and markets within their districts and not move from one district to the other to buy their essential items in order to minimize movement of people and vehicles across the city, this has largely been flouted as well.”

It said to ensure that the FCT did not witness an escalation in the number of COVID-19 positive cases and prevent a public health emergency, the administration had resolved on the following new measures to enforce the cessation of movement.

The committee also banned motorcycles (Okada) from operating anywhere in Kubwa and Dutse Alhaji areas of the FCT during the lockdown.

The FCTA  said it would step up sensitization efforts, especially in the rural communities, and enjoined Area Council  chairmen, traditional rulers and community leaders to actively engage in sensitizing the populace on the dangers of COVID -19.

HumanAngle had reported that residents in the satellite communities of FCT and other rural communities have continued to live their normal lives irrespective of the lockdown.