The Abia State Joint Taskforce on Covid-19 has joined forces with their Imo State counterpart to ensure total enforcement of the border closure order.
The leader of the Taskforce and Special Adviser to the Governor on Homeland Security, Chief Sopuruchi Bekee observed that the only way to maintain a total lockdown of the border is to collaborate with the Enforcement team of the neighbouring State.
Chief Bekee was joined by the State Head of Service, Sir Onyii Wama, Commissioner for Lands, Alhaji Suleiman Ukandu and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media and Publicity, Mr Ubani Newman Ubani as well as other members of the taskforce team — the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, M. A Jatau, Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations, Abia State Police Command, Mr. Alfa Jibrin, Representatives of the Army, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and TIMAAS.
In a brief meeting with the Imo State team at Onuimo, he called for strictly compliance to the enforcement of the order insisting that no person should be allowed to cross to Abia unless those on essential duties who are already exempted from the movement order.
According to him, vehicular movements of any kind is highly restricted while those on duty and other pedestrians must wear face masks before they could be allowed to pass the checkpoints.
At both Onuimo and Owerrinta borders, which has been described as being very strategic in the enforcement order, the Taskforce insisted that those without any genuine reason to be on the road were turned back to where they came from while a few other were impounded.
On the whole, ABIA ONLINE observed, that the taskforce has maintained strict enforcement of the directive of the governor as incessant movements being witnessed in some days have drastically been curtailed.
