With the increasing cases of COVID-19, the extension of the second phase of eased lockdown and lift of the ban on interstate travel, every Nigerian is now more saddled with the responsibility of mitigating the spread of the novel coronavirus.

During a radio programme titled ‘COVID -19 Awareness Update’ by Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) on Cool FM 96.9 and Arewa Radio 93.1 Kano, Aisha Ado Abdullahi, a member of Kano Against Covid-19 said even if people fail to believe that the virus exists, what will they lose by protecting themselves to a responsible degree?

“People are dying. We have to take COVID-19. No one has ever lost from taking any given protective measures seriously. Irresponsibility is the reason people shove information on COVID-19 Pandemic’.

She also talked about the effect of the virus on household operations during the lockdown. “It is one of the reasons why we had a high rate of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence because the diseases also affected the mood in the house.”

On the same issue, Dr. Maryam Nasir Aliyu stressed that there is a need to create more awareness of how people should protect themselves and what victims can do. She also said because the punishment given to offenders does not match the magnitude of the crimes they commit, we keep on having an increase in such cases. She said: ‘The laws are too mild. They should be well strengthened and enforced. People’s mental health should also be put into a severe check.