Kaduna State Police Command has arrested 165 persons and impounded 205 cars and tricycles for violating the curfew imposed by the state government.

As part of measures to curb the spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), the command was directed last week to enforce the stay-at-home order in the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Mohammed Jalige, stated yesterday that the command, in collaboration with other security agencies, had continued to enforce and closely monitor compliance with the respective executive orders, and, in the course of enforcement, 165 people were arrested and 205 vehicles impounded.

Jalige explained that two clerics were among those arrested for violating the curfew, adding that the arrested persons were currently with the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for interrogation.

“The suspects will be prosecuted immediately on the completion of the investigation, in accordance with the relevant extant laws of the land,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has cautioned Islamic preachers against misleading their followers on the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The umbrella group for the Nigerian Muslim community headquartered in Kaduna gave the warning yesterday in a statement by its Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Aliyu, in Kaduna.

“The JNI, under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Dr. Sa’ad Abubakar, is once again saddened by the recent unfortunate development of misleading the Muslim Ummah (faithful) by some sections of Ulama (preachers) over the Coronavirus prevalence.

“We must, as Ummah, avoid a repeat of the trend in Italy, which was partly due to non-adherence to expert advice over the pandemic.

‘“Therefore, we should all bear in mind that knowledge is Amanah (trust) and must be safeguarded and delivered as such, thus the need for this statement,” he stated.

JNI noted that the action of some of the clerics clearly depicted their myopic worldview, stark ignorance of genuine knowledge and medical scholarship.

It regretted that the negative actions of such preachers had incited innocent Muslims who were oblivious of the serious health implications of the pandemic.

He added, “Nonetheless, it should be noted that the issue of plague and/or pandemic is not new throughout human history, either at various times or places, the Muslim world inclusive.

“It is thus sheer monumental ignorance to falsely claim that the Coronavirus pandemic does not exist and that it is a lie and a shadow of a ghost.”