By Abraham Achirga
ABUJA, April 13 (Reuters) - The bored and the brave have
taken over the six-lane highways of Nigeria's capital, now on
coronavirus lockdown.
Vehicles in Abuja are mostly gone. In their place: hundreds
of people doing group workouts with little concern for a disease
that has so far killed 10 and infected 300 in Nigeria.
"Since the lockdown, we are just at home doing nothing, no
work, no food, nothing, nothing, so we decided to come and
exercise our body instead of us sitting at home and just getting
fat," said Akinyemi Busayo, a trader, who was doing aerobics and
other exercises in a group.
Behind Busayo, dozens of people lined a footbridge spanning
one of Abuja's massive highways, doing sit-ups as a stream of
runners jogged between them.
The government has ordered people to remain indoors and
isolate themselves unless they need essentials such as food,
water or medical services.
But enforcement has varied from the draconian – with
security agents beating and arresting even health workers they
found outside – to non-existent, as with the sportswear-clad
crowds in Abuja.
“For me I believe it is not yet here in this my vicinity,”
said Agboola Sabinat, a student, referring to the novel
coronavirus.
“Everyone is scared, like my mom she is scared, she is like
I should not go out for this work-out, that they said everybody
should be at home, that we should just keep cool and stay at
home, but I can't,” Sabinat said.