COVID-19 Restrictions: IGP Adamu Orders Policemen To Stop Harassing Doctors, Nurses, Journalists, etc.Clears

The Inspector General of Police, Wednesday, waded into the seemingly unending controversies on the  confusing implemenattion of the presidential order on the exemption of Essential Service Providers from the restrictions put in place by the Federal Government as part of its efforts to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

The media, both traditional and social, had been recently replete with reports of manhandling of doctors, nurses, journalists and other workers on essential services by some overzealous members of the Nigeria Police Force.

This, according to a release by Frank Mba, a deputy commissioner of police, DCP, and the Force Public Relations Officer, FPRO, prompted the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, to “clear all ambiguities on the position of the Nigeria Police Force especially as it relates to persons on essential duties.”

According to Mba, “all essential workers including medical personnel, ambulance service providers, journalists, fire-fighters, etc. remain exempted from the movement restriction orders as well as the national curfew.”

Consequently, IGP Mohammed Adamu, “directed Zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and State Command Commissioners of Police to give maximum effect to these orders and extend due courtesies to essential service providers so affected and also ensure that personnel deployed for the enforcement duties respect the fundamental rights of the citizens.”

The IGP also urged “all workers who fall within these categories not to take undue advantage of their positions and privileges to advance other purposes not connected with the performance of their duties within the stated period.”