<p class="">Major streets in Ilorin, the Kwara capital, were deserted on Friday evening as the total lockdown of the state announced by the government took effect.</p>
<h1>The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government ordered a total lockdown in all the 16 local government areas of the state to curtail the spread of the dreaded coronavirus pandemic.</h1>
<p class="">NAN also reports that Kwara has recorded two cases of the COVID-19 currently receiving treatment at Sobi Specialist Hospital, while the Technical Committee on COVID-19 are tracing 80 persons that may have contact with the index cases.</p>
<p class="">A NAN correspondent who went round the major streets by 5.30p.m. reports that people were rushing back home to beat the 6 o’clock deadline for the commencement of the lockdown</p>
<p class="">Security agents were also seen on major roads and junctions to enforce the lockdown.</p>
<p class="">At the A Division Roundabout, policemen and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) were stationed to enforce the order.</p>
<p class="">Roads were barricaded at Challenge, Post Office roundabout and Maraba junctions where motorists with no genuine reasons to be on the road were stopped, while some were turned back.</p>
<p class="">Many commuters were also stranded and had to trek the distance to their homes.</p>
<p class="">Petrol stations and medicine stores were also shut down, despite the exception extended to them.</p>
<p class="">A patent medicine seller on Muritala Mohammed Road, simply called Mummy Adizat said she has to close her shop for fear of being arrested for flouting the lockdown order.</p>
<p class="">She said she would open her shop on Saturday if she was convinced that police would not harass medicine sellers.</p>