Buhari signs coronavirus regulations to enforce lockdown in Lagos, others

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has signed the COVID-19 Regulations 2020, declaring coronavirus a dangerous infectious disease.

In a statement on Monday night in Abuja, the Presidency said Buhari acted in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Quarantine Act (CAP Q2 LFN 2004), and “all other powers enabling him in that behalf”.

The statement, which was signed by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, added, “The Regulations, effective March 30, 2020, also gave legal backing to the various measures outlined in the President’s National Broadcast on March 29, 2020, such as restriction/cessation of movement in Lagos, FCT and Ogun State and others toward containing the spread of the pandemic in the country.

“In addition, to ensure that Nigerians can still perform on-line transactions and use ATMs whilst observing these restrictions, the exemption is granted financial system and money markets to allow very skeletal operations in order to keep the system in light operations during the pendency of these regulations.”