COVID-19: Security operatives enforcing lockdown without masks, gloves

Policemen and other security agencies deployed to enforce the stay-at-home order in Kaduna metropolis have not been provided with Personal Protective Equipment to protect them from Covid-19, Arewa Trust Weekly has observed. The Security agencies comprise  police, soldiers, civil defence and local vigilantes such as   Civilian Joint Taskforce (JTF), Kaduna Vigilantes Service and the Peace […]

Policemen and other security agencies deployed to enforce the stay-at-home order in Kaduna metropolis have not been provided with Personal Protective Equipment to protect them from Covid-19, Arewa Trust Weekly has observed.

The Security agencies comprise  police, soldiers, civil defence and local vigilantes such as   Civilian Joint Taskforce (JTF), Kaduna Vigilantes Service and the Peace Corps among others.

Our reporter who went round the metropolis reports that most of the security agencies on patrol did not have hand gloves or face masks, while many of them were not observing the two metres person-to- person distancing.

The few seen with face masks told our reporter that they either bought for themselves or were given by health workers passing by.

Some of them who spoke with Arewa Trust said the lack of protective kits exposes them to the danger of coming in contact with the virus as they discharge their duties.

“We need the kits too to protect ourselves from the virus, but as you can see, we are deployed on the street without the kits,” a policeman, who did not want to be named, said.

Another policeman said “We were left here with no food, water and no protective kits from the virus, so please help us tell the government on our behalf.”

Public Relations Officer of the Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Mohammed Jalige, said the command was working on that.

“We are trying to see how we can provide such kits like hand gloves, face masks to them. We want to ensure that any policeman going for field work gets a mask at least so as to protect himself too.”

Similarly, Chief Public Relations Officer, Nigerian  Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kaduna State Command, Orndiir Terzungwe, said their command was mindful of the fact that those in the field needed to be protected.

He said they also asked those deployed to exercise caution by not going too close to people at the check points.

“That is not to say that the use of their face mark is not important; we are trying to see how we can source that locally for them to be equally protected. That is why if you come to our office, we have hand sanitisers.

“We are doing everything possible to see that those in the field are well protected. Very soon we will procure marks that will be used by them,” he said.