Cross River intercepts five trucks loaded with Almajiri children

Cross River government intercepted five trucks conveying almajirai and other passengers at Gakem, a border town in the Bekwarra LGA in Cross River.

The trucks, which were coming from the North, were intercepted on Wednesday night by members of the COVID-19 task force set up by Governor Ben Ayade to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

The trucks and other vehicles were ordered back by the leader of the COVID-19 task force in the area and Commissioner for Youths, Omang Idiege, after a thorough check on every vehicle by security personnel.

“After a thorough check on the trucks and we discovered that most of the passengers, aside goods, were almajirai who did not meet COVID-19 protocols, we had to force them to return to their destination,” Idiege said.

The commissioner appealed to the Chairman COVID-19 Response Team, Dr Betta Edu, to visit the truck parks in the state and caution their drivers against contravening protocols put in place to contain the coronavirus.

The Permanent Secretary, Office of the State Security Adviser, Sir Alfred Mboto, confirmed the incident and said his officers at the scene had briefed him about the development.