Enugu State Government has restricted residents from street football and other sporting activities in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
The state Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Manfred Nzekwe who made the announcement in a chat with newsmen in Enugu on Tuesday, said that all sporting activities in the state had been shut down.
He said the warning was imperative following reports that there were street football going on in the state.
The commissioner said that anybody involved in sporting activities outside the state sports facility would be apprehended by security agents.
”Enugu State in line with the condition given by the Nigeria Centre for Disease and Control (NCDC) and Federal Government has shut down sports activities of any kind.
”We are supposed to attend National Sports Festival (NSF) in Edo State but it was suspended owing to the pandemic.
”The state is adhering to the rules, if anybody is still playing football or engaging in any sporting activity, the person is doing it at his or her own risk.
”Enugu State has been adhering and maintaining the rules given by NCDC on Social Distancing, ” he said.
Nzekwe said that any street football in the state was illegal and if anything happened, “the person will have himself or herself to blame.”
The commissioner noted that suspension of sports activities was targeted at saving lives.
He advised youths to observe all the rules given by NCDC concerning the COVID-19 pandemic for their own good.
Nzekwe said that security agents had been deployed to monitor compliance and enforce the order.
He also urged youths to stay away from anything that could cause them pains at this period of COVID-19.