Nigeria Lockdown: Last minute rush as Lagos and Abuja dey prepare for ‘Stay at home’ order

Mile 12 market, Lagos

BBC
Mile 12 market, Lagos

“We go shut down Mile-12 market”.

Dis na di words wey di chairmo of di biggest food market for Lagos Nigeria, Shehu Jubril tell BBC Pidgin say even though na essential commodity dem dey sell, dem go still obey goment order to shut down di market.

E say na dia own sacrifice to fight Coronavirus.

Serious panic buying dey happun for di market on Monday sake of say goment want lockdown di state ontop Coronavirus matter.

Some prices of food stuff jump go up for Opic market for boundary between Lagos and Ogun state.

Woman dey pack pepper

BBC
Di prices of food items don dey increase

Bag of foreign rice wey dey sale for 28,000 naira before dey now sale for 35,000 naira, cup of crayfish wey bin dey sale for 800 naira dey now sale for 1500 naira while paint of garri wey bin dey sale for 600 naira dey now sale for 900 naira.

As at 3pm pipo still plenti for banks across Lagos as dem dey try withdraw money before banks go shutdown.

Pipo wey dey for cue to get money

BBC
Lines for bank don long ontop coronavirus panic

Fuel stations dey do dia business as usual without rush for Ikeja, Ketu and Ikosi area wey we visit.

Lagos roads just dey empty like say na Christmas season we dey.

We still dey keep eye for road to know when security agencies go begin block road sake of di lockdown order.

Even for Abuja pipo don enta panic mood for buying, withdrawing money for bank and even travelling.

Business dey go on for parks as plenti pipo dey try travel go dia home town. Those wey dey go Jos say dem increase fare.

Many pipo don dey fear how di corona virus go affect dia life.

George na taxi driver for Abuja and na di only work wey e dey do to put food for table for imself and family.

Abuja street

BBC

E live Nyanya-Mararaba axis- a suburb of Abuja di Nigerian capital and drive everi morning to Abuja city centre to look for chop moni.

E say di lockdown for sure go affect im ability to put food for table for imself aand family.

Nyanya-Mararaba na home to thousands of civil servants plus plenti unemployed youths dem.

Afta di demolition of di Federal capital during Nasir Elrufai tenure as FCT minister, many of dem run to di area settle for di community afta dem no fit pay house rent for town.

Pesin dey carry load for head

BBC
Meanwhile tori dey land say di prices of market don go up

Wit no white collar jobs, many of di youths dem gatz rely on dia daily job to get chop moni

Many of dem dey do okada, dey push wheel barrow, sell for road side do any oda menial jobs.

Pesin dey push wheel barrow

BBC
Many people wey dey do day by day work to chop don dey worry on top implications of di shutdown

Na sake of say pipo wey dey live for satellite town like dis na im make President Muhamadu Buhari for im nationwide broadcast on Sunday announce say e go give relief material to epp dem.

‘We dey aware dis lockdown measure go cause hardship and sake of dat all those wey dey live for satellite towns and communities around Lagos and Abuja go get relief materials” president Buhari announce.

But of those wey speak to BBC News Pidgin say dem no sure if dey relief materia go reach all of dem

People dey pack demself got markets for last minute shopping

BBC
But police dey arrest ny pesin wey dey market wey no dey sell food

For most of di market wey our reporter visit, many resident dey try stock dia house to prepare for the lockdown for two weeks.

Many of dem dey try buy food item but dem complain say di price don go up from wetin dem expect.

For Mararaba market, di crowd full and many business pipo wey open market and no dey sell food item, police dey catch dem.

E no clear weda market go still dey open and dis dey cause panic buying.

BBC Pidgin Covid 19 graphics

BBC

Wen our reporter reach out to di oga of di FCT taskforce team, e say dem dey hold meeting to dey clear weda market go still dey open or not.

But while di decision neva dey public, residents dey rush go market to stock dia houses no mata di price.

Abuja market

BBC
Abuja market

Meanwhile aside di high shopping cost, many residents of Nyanya-maraba dey tok about di rise in crime rate.

Many of dem want di security agent for di area to beef up security as bad boy and agbero dem, if no get work, go dey break pipo house to steal tins.

All dis kata-kata dey happun in response to di Federal goment order on Sunday on top coronavirus mata for di kontri wey don pass 100 cases.

Nigerian Presido Muhammadu Buhari bin announce for live broadcast say Lagos, Abuja and Ogun states go dey on lockdown from Tuesday for two weeks.