Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has relaxed the 24-hour curfew, which he imposed on the Adamawa State this past Sunday.
He has freed people and vehicles to move around between 8am and 6pm.
The governor announced the change Thursday evening, saying however that checkpoints would remain in strategic places to stop vandals from moving their loot out of the state.
A statement passed to newsmen by Governor Fintiri’s Press Secretary, Mr. Humawashi Wonosikou, said, “Government has relaxed the current curfew regime from 8am to 6pm beginning from Friday 30th October 2020.We shall review this timings as situation warrants.”
Governor Fintiri had announced a 24-hour curfew in the afternoon of Sunday after hoodlums went wild earlier in the morning looting warehouses and stores.
The governor thereafter on Tuesday issued an ultimatum to looters to return their loot or the houses where such loot is kept would have their C-of-O withdrawn and the houses possibly demolished.
The governor said in the latest address to the people via the statement issued by his press secretary that so far, over 50% of the looted items had been recovered and more were being surrendered.
“It is not in the character of our citizens to break the law neither are we known for involvement in brigandage. This is partly why there has been a tremendous response in the voluntary return of the valuable items that were carted away,” the governor said.
He consequently decided that following considerable demonstration of remorse and regrets from most of the good citizens “who were misled into this unholy act by a few mobsters on the return of the loots,” the government had resolved to review the implementation strategy of the Executive Order for a house-to-house search for looted properties.
“Part of this review is the fact that the House-to-House search will no longer necessarily be in the form initially envisaged. We encourage landlords to talk to their tenants; neighbours to talk to each other and parents to talk to their children, should there be any remnants of the loot in any of the households,” he said, warning that whistle blowers “are doing their best in the recovery process.”
