The Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Friday said it had deployed 1,000 of its corps to fight the spread of Coronavirus in Lagos State.
The Lagos State Commandant, Adeyinka Ayinla, said this at a news conference in Lagos.
Ayinla said that the effort was in line with the directive from the Commandant- General (CG) of NSCDC, Abdullahi Muhammadu.
Ayinla said that the command had earmarked 1,000 disaster operatives because of the high population of residents of Lagos State.
He said that the NSCDC had been empowered by the NSCDC Act 2007 as amended to assist in the maintenance of peace and order in the country.
“It is established for the protection, rescue of the civil population and provision of emergency medical services like first aid during the period of emergences,” he said.
The Commandant said in view of such mandate, it had become crucial that the NSCDC should quickly embark on intensive measures to fight the spread of COVID-19 in all the states of the federation.
The commandant said that corps disaster operatives would operate in all the local governments in the state simultaneously.
He said that the command had provided nose masks, sanitizers and handwashing equipment in all its centres to make handwashing, sanitising and nose masks accessible to the residents of the state.
He added that the Lagos State Command would step-up its campaign against the deadly COVID-19.
“NSCDC will enforce good culture of personal hygiene and social-distance strategy as directed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in the state,” he said.
Ayinla said that the trained corps disaster operatives drawn from its Crisis Management Department, Divisional offices and Area Commands would be on surveillance duty, enforce social restriction and response to people suspected to have cases of COVID-19.
“I hereby direct all corps disaster operatives deployed to NSCDC’s COVID-19 fight centres to assume duty 24 hours daily throughout the sensitive period.
“All corps disaster operatives are also directed to work with officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), healthcare practitioners and sister security agencies,” Ayinla said.