The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has signed an executive order banning open grazing, open defecation and urination, loitering, and driving against the normal flow of traffic, abandonment or parking of vehicles on traffic lanes or drive-ways, overspeeding and overloading of vehicles, and others offences in the state.
The executive order, Alia explained, was in according with section 14 (2) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, and section 10 of the Public Order Act (CAP 382) laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004.
A copy of the order with effect from the 28th day of February, 2024, obtained by Channels Television, also said loitering about at late hours from 12:00 midnight to 5:00 A.M unless for emergency or very important matters, cross-usage of public lavatories by men and women, indiscriminate dumping of waste or garbage on road-dividers, gutters and other unauthorised places, have henceforth become punishable offences in the state.
Other listed offences include; indiscriminate throwing of empty water sachets and polythene bags in the public, excavation of roads and causing of any form of obstruction on the road, 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/lands building across water channels or drainages, building structures, kiosks, shanties, and others on the right of way, and hawking or selling of goods of any kind by the roadside or on the road.
From the commencement of the order, rallies, wakes and other forms of public gatherings beyond the hours of 10:00 PM in the state without first seeking a permit from the Department of Public Order at the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, Benue State, have also been banned.
“All businesses in the cities, towns and villages in Benue State shall close by midnight and shall not operate beyond the said hours in the night except health workers, security operatives and other essential services.
“Provided that any person, organization, company or corporation that intends to carry on their business beyond midnight must first seek and obtain a permit from the Department of Public Order at the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, Benue State.
“No minor in any family within the state shall be sent on any errand or hawking of any goods or product during School hours or beyond the hour of 6:00 PM.
“All acts carried out or perpetrated in violation of public morality and public decency are hereby prohibited namely; strippers club or naked strip dancing. Any form of prostitution in public places or commercial sex hawking.
“Use of minors as bartenders or any form or class of work in a drinking joint.Indecent dressing or any form of nudity.
in Benue State.
“There is hereby established for the State a body to be known as the Public Order Taskforce, which shall operate throughout the State inclusive of the Local Government Areas of the State.
“There shall be a Public Order Tribunal in different parts of the State to complement the work of the Committees, the Departments of Public Order and the Taskforce.
“The Taskforce shall be responsible for the preservation and enforcement of provisions on Public Order.”
