For days before the lockdown, I had a running argument with a colleague who was intransigent in calling for the WHOLE country to be locked down.

He would not be dissuaded from this point of view. In a fit of passion he insisted that if Wuhan could do it then we should.

My point then remains the same: more than 70% of the population lives in grinding poverty. Any day that they don't go out to hustle is a day they'll not eat. While you and I can stock up, these ones aren't even guaranteed their next meal.

For them, a lockdown without adequate palliative measures is a grim choice between certain death from hunger or possible death from the Wuhan virus. Given these two options, the logical choice for them is to brave the virus so as to keep body and soul together in the interim.

If they are prevented from doing so by the State, they'll take measures to survive. They'll not go like sheep to the slaughter while you work from home and complain of boredom.

They'll prey on those of you who have stocked up and they'll flout the lockdown.

Nigeria's security apparatus is geared towards regime security and not the protection of lives and property. Additionally, they're overextended. They simply cannot deal with a massive breakdown of law and order. They'll not come to your aid.

We should oppose any extension of the lockdown beyond Monday.

Our local circumstances militates against this approach. An extended lockdown risks becoming a cure worse than the disease.

I must put out this caveat because some of you are, not to put too fine a point on it, rather daft.

Hunger leads to increased criminality and breakdown of law and order. It is a trend observable in all of recorded history.

Pointing that out ≠ justifying criminality.