Kwara State Commissioner of Police Mr. Kayode Egbetokun has explained how the Command uncovered and closed eight illegal routes created by transporters smuggling passengers into the state against COVID-19 restriction of interstate travels.
He said that the Command has proposed tougher sanctions to the state government to check violation of the interstate travel ban.
According to him, the new measures include prosecution and conviction of transporters violating the interstate travels ban, impounding their vehicles while passengers smuggled into the state should be escorted back to their respective states.
Egbetokun who is the Chairman of the JTTT in the state, disclosed this during a meeting with members of the federal government Joint Technical Task Team (JTTT) on COVID-19 to ease the challenges of movement of food and agricultural imputes in Kwara state.
He said despite measures put in place by security agencies to check inter states travels restriction truck drivers keep developing pranks to beat security agencies, a reason why he said stiff sanction should be meted out.
“I still receive reports of violation of border closure restriction by truck drivers. We have closed eight illegal routes created by truck drivers but despite our efforts, is not serving as deterrent. They kept on smuggling passengers in different trucks.
”In fact, I am going to suggest to the state government that henceforth, any vehicle caught should be impounded, the vehicle should be forfeited to the state government and the driver should be convicted and sentenced while the passengers should be conveyed in another vehicle back to their respective states”, he said.
