In a significant move to enhance public safety, Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has enacted an executive order imposing restrictions on various public activities and practices.
The new regulations, aimed at curbing criminality and political violence, include a ban on organising wakes, rallies, and other public gatherings beyond 10 pm.
The executive order, signed on Friday, also prohibits farming on empty, unfenced plots of land in urban areas, as well as on undeveloped government properties or reserved areas.
Governor Alia, represented by his deputy, Sam Odeh, emphasised that these measures are necessary to address the rise in kidnappings, murders, and intimidation by local warlords and militia groups.
The order is grounded in Section 14 sub-section (2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 10 of the Public Order Act, CAP 382 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
During the signing ceremony at the Government House in Makurdi, Alia highlighted the need for strict adherence to the new laws.
Prohibited activities include disobedience to traffic rules, child labour, prostitution, indiscriminate dumping of refuse, open defecation and urination, extortion of developers, unauthorised building on water channels, and roadside hawking or selling of goods.
“Also prohibited is farming on empty, unfenced plots of land or in front of any premises or on the street, or by the roadside within urban areas. Farming on undeveloped areas of government offices or quarters or reserved areas.
“From the commencement of the order, rallies, wakes and other forms of public gatherings should not be held beyond the hours of 10 pm in the state.”
“But any person or group wishing to hold a gathering beyond 10 pm are advised to first, seek and obtain a permit from the Department of Public Order at the Ministry of Justice,” he added.
The governor also announced that violations of these regulations would incur severe penalties, ranging from fines of N20,000 to N500,000 or imprisonment, depending on the severity of the offence.
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