John Adams, Minna
Worried by the non compliance with the use of face masks by residents of the state, the Niger State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, re-emphasized that wearing of the material as a precautionary measure against the spread of the Coronavirus is compulsory in the state, warning that violators will be prosecuted.
“It is compulsory for everyone to use face mask in the state if you must step out of your house”, the governor insisted.
The governor stated this in a press statement in Minna on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel Berje, stressing that the use of face mask is not by choice but compulsory in all public places.
The governor had last week lunched the use of face mask in all public places and distributed same to all the 25 local government areas of the state, instructing all the council chairmen in the state to ensure the enforcement.
Government however explained that supermarkets, corner shops and bakeries are allowed to operate but with strict adherence to all the precautionary measures, while restaurants will only be allowed to operate on take away service basis.
According to him, “under this period of lockdown, citizens are only allowed to use the neighborhood markets to restock food and other basic needs on  Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays from hours between 8:00am to 6:00pm and not to move from one market to the other”.
He also insisted that inter-state movement vehicles and people remain banned except those on essential services, warning that those who illegally enter the state will be quarantined for 14 days after which they will be prosecuted.
The statement however quoted the governor as saying that the state government has started repatriating the almajiri children that are not indigenes of Niger State to their states of origin, following the agreement of Northern States Governors’ Forum to evacuate almajiri children to their home States in view of the risk they are exposed to.
“The state government is not leaving any stone unturned in containing the spread of the deadly Coronavirus that has brought the world to its knees”, he further added.