The Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya on Tuesday disclosed that the government would engage hunters and vigilantes to man the boundaries of the state.
Yahaya told journalists in Gombe that this would ensure that several entries into the state were secured to ensure that movements were restricted to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.
Yahaya’s briefing was a reaction to Monday’s confirmation of five cases of Covid-19 in the state.
He expressed concerns that the pandemic got into the state despite the measures earlier taken by the state government to curtail the spread of the virus from other places.
“We would engage the service of local hunters and vigilantes, as well as as religious organizations like the Boys Brigade and Jama’atul Nasril Islam to help security agencies in maintaining law and order.
The state government had three weeks ago imposed measures which limits religious gathering to only 50 persons, shut all areas of social gathering and sealed boundaries shared with other states.
“With the confirmed cases, business would not be as usual concerning religious and social gathering, and all other measures against the spread of the virus must be taken.
“I am meeting with the traditional leaders to adopt strategy on how to curtail the spread of the disease in our community.
“Our major concern now is community transmission, which is going to be dangerous if care is not taken,” he said.
Chairman Gombe State Taskforce on Covid-19, Prof Idris Mohammed, disclosed that out of the five cases recorded, three were on admission at the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, while the one from Borno state was escorted to Borno boundary and the remaining one was still being traced.
