Benue Dep. Gov., Abounu leads night surveillance at entry points, conducts compulsory test on travellers from Abuja

By Bemgba Iortyom

Following reports of an influx of people from other places into Benue State at night, Deputy Governor, Engr. Benson Abounu, defied a heavy downpour of rainfall last night to lead a team of the State Action Committee on COVID-19 to mount all night long surveillance at some entry points into Makurdi, the state’s capital city.

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According to the Deputy Governor, who also Chairs the Committee, the aims of the surveillance were, first to enforce the dusk to dawn curfew imposed to curtail the movement of people at night as a measure towards curbing the possible spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) to the state and also to take into isolation any persons entering the state from high-incidence zones.

During the surveillance motorists caught violating the curfew were detained on the spot till its expiry at 6 am today, while details of their vehicles were taken and a strong-worded reprimand issued to them with the threat of severe sanctions awaiting them should they be found in violation of the curfew again.

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Also, as part of the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Protocols established by the Federal Ministry of Health, all motorists and passengers on their vehicles were subjected to a mandatory body temperature check to ascertain their primary health condition.

In the course of the surveillance, a group of passengers identified to have been travelling from Abuja were taken into one of the Isolation centres in Makurdi where they have been placed under observation in line with IPC protocols.

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Engr. Abounu said that the isolation of the travelers from Abuja reflects a new dimension in efforts by the Action Committee to keep the state free of the virus.

He said a tightening of the measures was necessary now given a potential last-minute rush of people to Benue to beat the coming total lockdown of the country as resolved by state governors.

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The Deputy Governor called on the people to be vigilant and report anyone who may have come into the state recently from outside, using the Emergency Response telephone lines which are;

09018602439
07025031214
08033696511
07037449837
09010999919
09010999920
With him on the surveillance mission last night were Secretary of the Committee and Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Sunday Ongbabo, Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ngunan Beeka Addingi, Benue State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bemgba Iortyom and a unit of the Taskforce on Boundaries/Borders Closure inaugurated recently.