FRSC threatens to impound vehicles violating lockdown order

Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps has said motorists not on the essential service list of the federal government may have their vehicles impounded.

FRSC boss, Boboye Oyeyemi, said corps have asked to “step up ongoing enforcement on restrictions and social distance amongst vehicle occupants and carry out the Presidential directives holistically by impounding at sight any vehicle found violating the orders”.

“Except the vehicles and the occupants are accredited essential workers with proof of identification, Commanding Officers must ensure that the vehicles are impounded and the occupants handed over to the Police for prosecution in the Court of Law for contravening the Presidential Order on restrictions, social distance and stay at home,” Oyeyemi said in a statement.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari first put the lockdown in place on March 29 to curb the spread of the coronavirus in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun.

He announced a 14-day extension during a national broadcast on Monday evening.

Buhari said it was crucial to extend the lockdown due to an “alarming” increase in positive cases in a number of states.

“It is a matter of life and death,” Buhari said of the broadcast.

Nigeria’s most populous city Lagos and the country’s capital Abuja, according to the president, accounted for over 71% of the confirmed cases of coronavirus in Nigeria as at Monday.

So far, there are currently 323 confirmed cases of the virus in Nigeria and ten people have died from the virus while 91 people have been discharged.

When the lockdowns were announced on March 29, the nation had 97 confirmed cases.

The restrictions announced do not apply to hospitals and stores selling essential items such as groceries and medicine.