Drivers, conductors aiding spread of COVID-19, says Lagos CP

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has accused commercial bus drivers and their conductors of aiding the spread of the coronavirus disease in the state. Odumosu, briefing journalists yesterday at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja, said an investigation the Command carried out revealed that the commercial bus drivers and their conductors had been sharing […]

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has accused commercial bus drivers and their conductors of aiding the spread of the coronavirus disease in the state.

Odumosu, briefing journalists yesterday at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja, said an investigation the Command carried out revealed that the commercial bus drivers and their conductors had been sharing face masks to their passengers who were not wearing any and retrieving the masks from the passengers when they were alighting, only to share them again to fresh boarding passengers with no mask.

The police Commissioner lamented that the bus operators, by that act, had been aiding the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We urge the leadership of the various unions to educate their members. Anyone arrested involved in this act will not be spared. The driver will be prosecuted along with his conductor,” he said.

Odumosu, who also gave a breakdown of the achievements the Command recorded during the lockdown period, said the Command succeeded in arresting 2,310 violators of the lockdown order.

He said that out of the number, a total of 2,185 violators were charged to court and given various punishments.

He added that the Command also freed 125 suspects, who were mostly under-aged offenders.

“Our enforcement teams impounded 2,092 vehicles, comprising 800 private vehicles and 1,292 commercial vehicles. We equally impounded 1,535 motorcycles and 369 tricycles.

“With the pronouncement of the gradual easing of the lockdown by the government with effect from Monday May 4, 2020, the Command adopted more effective measures and strategies to enforce the curfew imposed from 8pm to 6am daily, as well as the ban on non-essential inter-state movement.

“Our teams were also deployed to ensure that Lagos residents obey the guidelines regarding opening and closing time for businesses, workplaces and markets; the use of face mask in public places; the number of passengers per commercial vehicle and maintaining social distancing principles,” he said.