Its just day eight of the presidential lockdown order placed on Lagos, Ogun and Abuja in a drastic move to contain the deadly coronvirus [COVID-19] pandemic.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that President Muhammadu Buhari announced the lockdown on Sunday, March 30, 2019 in a nationwide broadcast to Nigerians on steps so far taken to curb the further spread of the virus.
– Lockdown : Committed Physical Fitness Nigerians takes over a road just again from Haruna down to Agric bustop in ikorodu , Lagos.
pic.twitter.com/ge4vL1dc5pAdvertisement
— Postsubman (@Postsubman) April 7, 2020
Already and as expected, Lagos due to its commercial status in Nigeria has the highest number of confirmed cases; 130 in total since the outbreak. However, despite proactive measures by the state government to contain the spread, some residents seem to be less concerned possibly due to the twin effect of boredom and idleness.
TNG observed that since Monday, in different parts of the state, Lagosians were seen on the roads, either driving, walking or having group fitness exercises together. The highway at Gbagada and Ikorodu was blocked by residents who turned the road into a fitness class on Monday and Tuesday respectively, thus making mockery of the social distancing policy and restriction order.
"@SwazySteven: The crowd from Adealu to iyana iPaja this morning @Gidi_Traffic #lockdownlagos https://t.co/pWq4ikQAWg
— GIDI (@Gidi_Traffic) April 8, 2020
On Tuesday at Lagos Island, there were pockets of traffic on the Lekki-Epe expressway. In Lekki, the traffic stretched and lasted for a long time because some motorists who tried to cut corners drove against traffic. On Wednesday morning, thousands of residents at Cele, Iyana-Ipaja and other places also ignored the stay-at-home order, thus causing more pains for the health workers who are the primary responders to the COVID-19 crisis.
"@scordk: Lagos on a Lockdown?
See Cele axis this morning: #lockdownlagos @Gidi_Traffic pic.twitter.com/ZN4W6fGycwAdvertisement
— GIDI (@Gidi_Traffic) April 8, 2020
In trying to enforce the law, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives, led by its commander, DCP Tunji Disu, went on a routine monitoring to arrest some motorists but this nonetheless did not deter the motorist (public and private) from returning to the highways.
Meanwhile, social media users have expressed disgust at the disobedience to the lockdown order calling for stiff punishment of offenders caught.