Coronavirus: Nigeria Police restrict gathering of officers to 10

Kwara State Police command has restricted every gathering of its officers to 10 persons as part of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the command.

A statement signed by the state commissioner of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Wednesday, said that, henceforth, any gathering of more than 10 officers requires his written permission.

The police boss also said that all suspects in cases of a simple offence or misdemeanour should not be detained, “but released on bail immediately. Detention should only be in the case of serious offences that are not normally bailable”.

It is recalled that the state government has already banned any gathering of more than 25 people in the state to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state.

Egbetokun said that the command has put everything in place to enforce government’s directives on the containment of the spread of coronavirus in Kwara state.

The commissioner of Police, who expressed concern about the rate of increase in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Nigeria, stressed the need for the command to join the nationwide campaign against the spread of the virus.

The statement reads:

SPECIAL BROADCAST TO ALL POLICE OFFICERS IN KWARA STATE 21/03/20

As a result of the alarming rate of increase in the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Nigeria, it is imperative that the Kwara state police command join the nationwide campaign against the spread of the deadly virus while ensuring expected service delivery to the people.

All police officers are to observe the personal safety precautions with respect to the Global concern on Covid19. including the following

1. Do not touch your face or anyone else face without first washing your hands thoroughly.
2. Maintain social distancing. A distance of at least 1 metre between you and any other person is desirable except in unavoidable circumstances.
3. Do not share eating utensils, drinking glasses, cups or towel with anyone

And

1. Always wash your hands thoroughly. Wash the back of the hands, between the fingers and under the nails with soap and water for at least 20secs or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers to sanitize your hands after touching any object or surface. The O/C medical has been directed to circulate the list of precautions as officially released for everyone to follow.

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS

1. All HODs, Area Commanders, DPOs and Heads of units are to immediately provide handwashing facilities or alcohol-based sanitizers or both at appropriate positions in their offices and stations.
2. All visitors who must visit the police facility/office are to be admitted into the offices only after having washed their hands with soap or sanitized their hands with the alcohol-based sanitizers provided at the entrance of such police facility/office.
3. Area Commanders and DPOs have earlier been advised to make available infrared thermometers for use in their stations. This has now become very necessary and must be taken very seriously.
4. Henceforth, any gathering of more than 10, be it that of policemen or otherwise requires the written permission of the Commissioner of Police with effect from Monday 23/03/20
5. All suspects in cases of simple offence or misdemeanour are NOT to be detained but released on bail immediately. Detention should only be in the case of serious offences that are not normally bailable.
6. The weekly briefing with DPOs within the metro will now be done online until further notice.
7. All concerned DPOs and HODs are to come online and hook up to a new platform that will be created for that purpose, once it is 12noon on Monday every week.
8. With respect to 7 above, the PPRO is hereby directed to create that special platform today with the title MONDAY BRIEFING, only for this purpose. This will also apply to the monthly officers conference if the situation in the country is yet to improve significantly before our next monthly officers conference.

I urge you all, once again, to observe the personal safety precautions mentioned above and any other precaution given by medical experts. You are also to lecture all officers and men under you to do the same.

Further directives and or information will be communicated to you as events unfold.

Stay safe everyone and be more alert to your duties. This whirlwind will surely blow over”.

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