Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos state, has warned churches against violating the 12am to 4am curfew imposed by the federal government, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
He said this on Thursday while responding to questions on annual cross-over services organised by churches on December 31 — the services are usually scheduled to run into the early hours of January 1.
Speaking at the state house in Marina, Lagos, Sanwo-Olu urged religious leaders to ensure their followers obey the safety protocols put in place to curb the spread of the virus.
“There are not meant to be gatherings. We’ve said so. The curfew that has been set by NCDC, PTF is still active. From 12 midnight to 4am, there is a national curfew and that has to be respected,” he said.
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“There are no night vigils in any form. The instructions are there; all of the restrictions are still in place that have been set by PTF and also Lagos state commission and all of the rules that have been set. So, there are no vigils anywhere.
“This is just one Christmas. We will have several Christmas so you can have your prayers at home. The curfews even start at 12, so people still need to obey those rules.”
In September, the nationwide curfew from 10pm to 4am had been adjusted to 12am to 4am by the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19.
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Meanwhile, Nigeria has experienced a recent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country, with the daily number of infections hitting a record of 1,145 positive samples on December 17.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had attributed this recent spike to increased travels, religious activities, and minimal compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols.
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