The Ogun State Police Command said it has received intelligence that some leaders of religious centres were planning to reopen despite the ban clamped on mass gathering owing to the continuing spread of Coronavirus Disease.
This was disclosed by the spokesman of the Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement on Saturday.
The Ogun State Government, which had earlier lifted the ban on religious worship, on Friday reinstated it following the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
The State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, who announced both the lifting and reinstating of the ban on congregational worship in mosques and churches, said it was for the good of the state.
However, Oyeyemi said available information has it that some religious leaders have concluded plans to violate the order.
He said: “Following the state government’s resolve to postpone the reopening of religious centres across the state indefinitely as a result of increase cases of COVID-19 pandemic, the Ogun State Police Command has received an intelligence report that some religious leaders are planning to reopen their places of worship in defiance to the state government directives.”
The police spokesman said the Command will not allow anyone to disobey the order put in place by the State Government.
He appealed to those planning to go against the order to have a rethink and also said the top echelons of the Force and special squads have been put on standby to tackle any violator.
Oyeyemi said: “In view of this, the Command wishes to appeal to those who have such intention to, in their own interests, have a rethink because such action will be viewed as deliberately making an attempt to cause the widespread of the virus in the state.
“As a responsible organisation, constitutionally mandated to maintain peace and order, the police will not fold its hands while some people will be openly flouting the law of the land.
“Therefore, all the Area Commanders, DPOs as well as the Command’s tactical squads have been directed to be on surveillance patrol across the state with the view of bringing to justice anybody found disobeying the government’s directives.
“The fight against COVID-19 should be seen as a collective responsibility of everybody and we should all join hands with government to defeat the virus once and for all.”