Gov. El-Rufai

The Police in Kaduna on Saturday dispersed a crowd of villagers at the burial of a young man at Maraban Rido community in Chikun Local Government Area of the state.

According to Channels television report, while dispersing the gathering, the security operatives arrested several people for violating the lockdown order of the state government.

The state government had banned all social gatherings, including burial and wedding ceremonies as part of efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state.

It has also invoked Section 2 and 8 of the Kaduna State Quarantine Law of 1926 and declared a total lockdown of the state on March 26 until further notice.

These include the restriction of movements, as well as ban on social gatherings and inter-state travels.

The villagers were intercepted as the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs in Kaduna, Samuel Aruwan, embarked on an inspection tour of some parts of the state.

Aruwan, who was accompanied by some heads of security agencies, explained that the exercise was to monitor the level of compliance with the government’s directive.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Umar Muri, who was part of the inspection team, spoke to reporters.

He stated that the burial was in total violation of the government’s directive banning ceremonies and other social gatherings.

“Residents are really underestimating this pandemic; somebody died and they gathered, more than 50 people. It cannot be tolerated in this state and it cannot be tolerated in the entire country”.

“We are warning people to desist from gathering and whoever violates the curfew will definitely be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law,” the police commissioner warned.