COVID-19: Umahi orders arrest of two families, policemen for conducting burials

Two separate families who conducted burials in Ebonyi State and the policemen who supervised them have incurred Governor David Umahi’s wrath.

The governor has ordered for their arrest for violating the ban placed on burial ceremonies in the state over the coronavirus.

Umahi, who spoke to newsmen at the new government lodge, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital on Friday has, therefore, banned the release of corpses for burial in the state.

The burials were reportedly carried out in the two local government areas of Ezza South and Ikwo.

Governor Umahi was sad that the people of the state dared to violate the effort of the state government to prevent coronavirus from entering and spreading in Ebonyi.

While he asked the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Awoshola Awotinde, to ensure the arrest of all the policemen that supervised the burial ceremonies, he directed the Vice Chancellor of Alex Ekuweme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo to stop releasing corpses for burial in the state.

He said, “Commissioner of Police, make sure that the policemen that supervised the burial are arrested and detained. Chairmen of Ezza South and Ikwo, I don’t understand how burial ceremonies will take place in your LGA and you people are not aware. This thing should stop. We should safeguard the lives of our citizens.”

He further asked the Permanent Secretary, State Affairs, Mr Austin Udude, and Commissioner of Health, Dr Daniel Umezuruike, to identity two hotels within the capital that would be taken over by the state government to lodge medical workers for the fight against the dreaded pandemic.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: PDP consoles Nigerians, says don’t despair over Buhari’s failure

He said the state would be on lockdown from Saturday, adding that the kits the state ordered in readiness to battle the virus “will arrive tomorrow (Saturday).”

Ebonyi is one of the states in Nigeria without any case of the dreaded virus currently ravaging the world.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now