Covid-19: Abounu tightens closure of Benue, Nasarawa State boundary

The Benue State Action Committee on COVID-19 yesterday tightened the closure of the boundary between the state and Nasarawa State.

Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Committee, Engr. Benson Abounu, accompanied by Commissioner of Information, Culture and Orientation, Hon. Mrs. Ngunan Beeka Addingi, led a taskforce to the boundary entry point at Yelewata where he supervised the restriction of entry into the state.

A technical team on ground at the entry point comprising officials of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Benue State Ministry of Health briefed the Deputy Governor of its activities.

They informed him that entrance into the state at the point was restricted to only essential transport conveying foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, medical supplies and persons on essential duty.

Engr. Abounu, however, led the taskforce accompanying him on surveillance and enforcement of the entry restrictions at the point from early afternoon to the evening hours.

During that period a number of vehicles conveying passengers who had no credible reasons to be travelling were turned back at the entry point.

Trailers and lorries conveying essential goods were subjected to thorough searches and their occupants put through medical screening relative to COVID-19 before being granted passage into Benue.

Following one of those searches, a truck which purported to be conveying only foodstuffs, was discovered to have 10 persons hidden among its cargo, and was turned back on the orders of the Deputy Governor.

Engr. Abounu observed that there was a relatively high volume of vehicular traffic seeking to come into the state at the entry point, but expressed belief that the trend will abate by tomorrow when the nationwide ban on inter-state travel comes into effect.

He further charged officials at the entry point to be alive to their responsibilities and understand that they are critical in the fight to keep Benue free of COVID-19, especially now that the number of cases of the virus are on the rise in neighbouring Nasarawa State.