Two cargo trucks, each carrying over 40 passengers, including children, bound for Walewale in the North East Region from Accra, have been forced to return.

They were escaping the partial lock-down against Covid-19, which came into effect on Monday, March 30.

The two drivers had covered the vehicles with tarpaulin to outwit security agents on the highway but they were intercepted at Ejisu in Ashanti Region.

The people, mostly head potters and their children, say they are being forced by the lock-down to return to the North because they have no shelter to stay indoors in Accra.

One of them, who identifies herself as Adiza told Luv FM that they would be better off in Walewale than Accra during the lockdown period.

“We are leaving Accra to the north because of the spread of the coronavirus, we don’t have any place to sleep so we were stranded at Accra,” she said.

The drivers say they accepted to transport the women and girls on humanitarian grounds because they had been stranded at the bus terminal for days.

“I was supposed to return to the north empty but I realised the women were stranded at the bus terminal. So the leaders begged me to take them along because some of them were pregnant and others had newborn babies so I decided to take them along.”

Ejisu Municipal Chief Executive, Beatrice Serwaa Derchie, expressed surprise the two trucks managed to outwit security at all checkpoints until they were found out at Ejisu.

“I can’t understand how the trucks managed to sneak through all the police checkpoints on the stretch. The police have to up their game and search every car thoroughly to ensure the spread of the virus is curbed.”

She wants military presence at all police checkpoints.

As these women and girls are returned to Accra, there are concerns they could be at risk of infection, having crammed themselves into the trucks without observing social distancing.

Authorities will have to find appropriate ways to address their concerns in the fight against Covid-19.