Police charge 325 to court in one day for violating COVID-19 directives in Lagos

The Police Command in Lagos State has said that it dragged 325 persons to court for alleged violation of COVID-19 directives on Tuesday, May 5.

In a statement by the state police command spokesman, DSP Elkana Bala, on Wednesday, he said 121 of the number were arrested for supposedly violating the curfew time imposed by the government.

Also, 58 of them were arrested for not wearing face masks, while 79 vehicles were impounded during the curfew hours, he said.

He added that the suspects alongside 148 others arrested over the weekend for violating lockdown order, were charged to court, bringing the total number of suspects charged to court on Tuesday alone to 325.

“They were sentenced accordingly. Some of the suspects were given four hours of community service while others were awarded fines between N2,500 and N3000 respectively,” he said.

READ ALSO: Four travelers from Sokoto intercepted by police in Oyo test positive for COVID-19

Among those arrested and arraigned was a singer, Iledare Olajuwonlo-James popularly known in music circles as Jaywon.

Reports say that the artiste was driving when policemen attached to the Dolphin Estate Division of the Lagos State Police Command, who were monitoring compliance with the curfew, intercepted him around 11pm on Monday and took him into custody.

The artiste who was once on the stables of Kennis Music was not also wearing a face mask at the time of his arrest as he was then taken to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, where he was charged before a mobile court after his statement had been taken.

During the court proceedings on Tuesday, Jaywon pleaded guilty and the presiding magistrate ordered him to pay a fine of N10,000 and was also sentenced to do community service for 30 minutes.

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