COVID-19: Enugu orders LG chairmen, others to man borders

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has directed the 17 Local Government chairmen, neigbourhood watch groups, and traditional rulers in the state to man their council borders to contain the spread of coronavirus.

A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Simon Ortuanya, on Thursday said this followed reports that persons on non-essential duties had continued to traverse the borders of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state recently recorded a new case of COVID-19 after two previous cases were discharged.

The governor directed the council chairmen to also mobilise development centre administrators, councillors, town union presidents general and youth leaders to man the state borders, especially those shared with contiguous states.


According to him, vehicles of erring operators would be impounded and handed over to law enforcement agents for appropriate action.

“This condemnable conduct compromises the current efforts of the state government to contain the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.

“The border control activities in all Local Government Council Areas in Enugu State that are contiguous with other states will be intensified at night-time, which is the time most of the infractions occur,” he said.

The SSG warned that any person or group caught aiding and abetting the illegal traverse through the state borders would be arrested and handed over to security agencies for prosecution.

In a related development, the state Commissioner for Health,  Prof Ikechukwu Obi, has disclosed that the state had begun contact tracing of the new COVID-19 patient in the state.

Obi urged those that had contact with the woman, who returned from Plateau State, to submit themselves for testing.

He said the police had sealed the residence of the patient at No 66 Nike Road, Abakpa Nike for disinfection and decontamination.