With a population of 200 million, 20 million of whom are packed in the commercial capital of Lagos, many fear the virus could spread quickly without containment.
The memo said the army is suspending all leave passes for all personnel and called for them to be on “maximum security alert and be ready for deployment.”
The virus has swept across the world, killing thousands and forcing millions into quarantine. Several nations have activated armed forces to help combat it.
South Africa deployed its army to enforce a 21-day lockdown that begins this week, and U.S. President Donald Trump activated the National Guard in New York, California and Washington. [ nL1N2BG1N5]
The U.S., French and Moroccan armies have set up field hospitals, and Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the army to carry out drills to increase readiness to fight coronavirus if necessary.
On Wednesday, Nigeria’s Rivers state governor said he would close the borders to human movement in or out of the state starting on Thursday to protect it from coronavirus.
The state’s capital city, Port Harcourt, is the gateway to the oil-rich Delta region, and companies such as Nigeria LNG and Royal Dutch Shell have key offices in the city. Neither company immediately commented on how the closure might affect their operations.
Oil provides more than half of Nigeria’s government revenue. (Additional reporting by Tife Owolabi in Yenagoa and Libby George in Lagos, Writing by Libby George, Editing by William Maclean)
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