The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested some 15 traders at Kumasi for defying orders not to trade at the 'Dr Mensah market'.

According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ACP Gordon Ahianyo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Authority, Osei Assibey Antwi, observed that traders and their customers were not practising the safety measures particularly social distancing and ordered its closure on Monday, March 30.

However, some headstrong market women on Wednesday breached the directive and have been picked up for interrogation.

“Since the assembly has closed that particular market [Dr Mensah market] then it must be observed, nobody should go there.

“Other markets are opened and we are trying to regulate and observe activities to ensure that they observe all the safety protocols.”

ACP Ahianyo indicated that the arrested traders will be made to sign a bond of good behaviour to serve as a caution to them and others.

“They will not be arraigned before caught, because this exercise is a humanitarian operation. It is not about we fighting the public, we have to use some kind of ‘soft blows’ and ‘human face’ in handling some of these cases,” he said.

He also advised residents in the locked-down areas to adhere to all directives stipulated by the government to help contain and fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

President, Nana Akufo-Addo in a televised address on Friday, March 27, imposed restriction of movement on the Greater Accra Region, Greater Kumasi metropolis and some parts of the Central Region for two weeks.

It has been three days since the lockdown took effect in these urban areas.