COVID-19: 189 people convicted by Lagos govt for violating lockdown order

No fewer than 189 out of the 202 persons arraigned for violating the lockdown order of the Lagos State government have been convicted in a mobile court sitting at the Lagos State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, on Thursday.

The convicted persons were arrested by officers of the SCIID while playing football, jogging and partaking in different forms of physical exercises in different parts of the state.

According to DCP Yetunde Longe, the violators were immediately taken to a mobile court presided over by magistrates Lateef Layeni and Bimbo Oshodi-Makanju for arraignment after their statements had been taken.

During the court proceedings, the defendants stood in queues and took turns before magistrates Lateef Layeni and Bimbo Oshodi-Makanju with some pleading guilty for violating the lockdown order, while others protested their arrests, claiming that they observed social distancing while exercising.

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Bala Elkana, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, told journalists that the 202 persons arrested were arraigned on one count of violating the social distancing directive of the state government.

He said, “On Thursday, April 9, 2020, police officers on enforcement of the restriction of movement arrested 202 suspects for violating the stay-at-home directive of the government. The suspects were arrested playing football on major streets and having group exercise in large numbers, which negated the principles of social distancing.

“The suspects were arraigned before the Lagos State Special Offences Mobile Court on one count of violating the social distancing directive of the government and contrary to Regulation 8(1) ( a) & (b) and 17 (1) (i) of the Lagos State Infectious Disease (Emergency Prevention) Regulations, 2020. It is an offence punishable under Section 58 of the Public Health Law, Cap P16, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

“Among the charged suspects, 189 pleaded guilty, while 13 pleaded not guilty. At the end of the trial, the suspects, who pleaded guilty, were ordered to pay fines ranging from N5,000 to N10,000. They were also sentenced to two hours of community service, which was supervised by officials of the Social Welfare Unit,” he added.

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