As the number of confirmed cases increases day by day in the country, states started taking precautionary measures to stop it from spreading into their states where there is no confirmed case.  Kano state on the 23^rd of March closed all its borders with other states, denied people entry and exit in and out of the state and asked its workers to stay at home for fourteen days. Consequently, due to the number of cases that are being reported in the country every day, the state decided to increase the number of days of stay at home by its workers by another 14 days. In the same vain, the state government declared that all social gathering which include cinemas, viewing centers, and joints in the state are ordered suspended until further notice. Ceremonial gatherings were also banned in the state and religious were advised leaders to adhere to the advice given by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), most especially social distancing, but all these went to the deaf ears of the people in the state as people continue with their normal activities without taking any precautions. This is the reason why last week, CITAD issued a report of assessment of compliance to this preventive measures and drew addressed of stakeholders to the danger and consequences of these actions in which it called on the concerned authorities to take tougher majors in containing the spread of the virus in the state looking at how quickly the virus was spreading in the country.

In the report, CITAD highlighted how travelers with the connivance of the security agencies are defying the directives given by the state government to stop all inter states movements at those borders which made the state to be at risk of importing the virus by those coming from other states. To prove that cross border movements is still ongoing in the state, on Saturday the 11^th of April, 2020 the state recorded it first covid-19 case. The patient is confirmed to be a retired technocrat who returned to the state from Lagos.

It is on this note that we are calling on the Kano state government to as a matter of urgency and of public safety to:

1. Direct the closure of all markets in the state as they are places where social distancing cannot apply and traders pay no hid o safety and preventive measures
2. All religious gatherings including Friday prayers and church services to be suspended with immediate effect
3. Re-enforce border closure and ensure total compliance
4. The State Anti-Corruption Agency to deploy its staff to the borders to prevent security personnel from sabotaging the efforts of government by collecting bribes and allowing motorists to enter the state
5. There is need to investigate how the index case crossed the closed border into Kano and that all found to played a role in this should be punished accordingly

Ali Sabo

Campaigns and Communications Officers