Several haulage vehicles loaded with passengers from Kano were on Monday turned back at the state’s boundary with Kaduna.
The development occurred at Sabon Gida village in Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna, which shares boundaries with Kiru Local Government Area of Kano State.
The Kaduna State Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who briefed journalists at the scene said the vehicle drivers tried to abuse the exemption from movement restriction granted vehicles conveying essential goods.
“As you can see, we are here at the border with our sister state of Kano to assess the level of compliance with the travel restriction, and suddenly intercepted long vehicles carrying passengers into Kaduna State,” he said.
“They abused exemption as you can see, we found dozens of people hidden and well-concealed.
“The good thing is they have not entered Kaduna State and we will turn them back to wherever they came from.
“Similarly, we have turned back dozens of passengers, and we will sustain the tempo in compliance with the Kaduna State Government’s directives.
“We are having some problems with those beating security through remote areas with motorcycles but we will go back to the drawing board.”
The commissioner was also at the boundary between Kudan Local Government Area of Kaduna and Danja Local Government Area of Katsina State.
At the Kaduna-Katsina boundary, Mr Aruwan thanked the security agencies for their sacrifice in enhancing security and the fight against the COVID-19 in Kaduna.
The commissioner had earlier in the day dispersed hundreds of traders at a market situated at Kwanan Farakwai, Igabi Local Government Area on the Kaduna-Zaria highway.
Several defaulters were arrested at the Kaduna State end of the boundaries and handed over to security agencies for prosecution.
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, had extended the quarantine orders being enforced in the state for another 30 days, the governor’s spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, said in a statement on Sunday.
Trailers conveying passengers into Kaduna turned back at Kano-Kaduna border entry
The state government had said no visitor is welcome into the state while the Covid-19 pandemic is raging.
“The Kaduna State Government has clearly stated that no visitor is welcome to enter the state while the Covid-19 pandemic is raging. Entry into or passage through Kaduna State is prohibited whilst the Quarantine Orders remain in force. Persons seeking to come into the state will be denied entry. Such persons will be given the option of returning to their take-off points or entering isolation for 14 days in locations and conditions that are so austere that nobody can mistake them for holiday resorts.
“The vehicles being used to enable such attempts to breach the quarantine conditions will be confiscated and forfeited to the government. The companies operating those vehicles will also be prosecuted and shall lose their license to operate in the state, even after the Covid-19 pandemic is contained. Within the state, vehicles of whatever type that is determined to be in violation will be confiscated and forfeited to the government, while the persons driving them will be fined, and maybe imprisoned upon conviction, “ the government said in the statement by Mr Adekeye.
