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Ben Dunno, Warri
As part of the measures to ensure total compliance with the stay-at-home directive to stop further spread of Coronavirus in Delta State, a mobile court sitting in Warri South Magistrate premises has convicted over 30 persons for various offences against the lockdown order.
The suspects were arraigned before Mrs E.M Sowho for violating the Executive Order on the lockdown by the state government were fined various amounts of money.
Some of the suspects included: Edor Bernard (m), Ebi Ziporah (m), Oke Michael (m), Juliet Sarah (f), Jubemi Omatseye (m), Salisu Yakubu (m), Stanley Freeborn among others.
Recalled that the state government gave the lockdown order with effect from April 1, as a measure to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prosecuting counsel, Sunday Irabor (DSP) told the court that the suspects failed to comply with the lockdown order as directed by government.
According to him, their action contravened the Regulation 2 sub 1 of Infectious Disease (emergency prevention regulations 2020 of Delta government.
Irabor added that the offence is punishable under section 61 of the Public Health Law of Delta, Nigeria 2006.
All the suspects pleaded not guilty to charges against them but were, however, not able to prove their case to be left off the hook.
Delivering judgement on each of the cases, Magistrate Sowho, having listened to their defence fined the accused between N500 and N1,000 each to serve as a deterrent to others.
In his short speech before the court proceedings, the Warri Area Commander, ACP Mohammed Garba, said that the security men apprehended so many defaulters, adding that they would continue to enforce the order.
“You can see that we are at the Magistrate Court One, one of the mobile courts set up by the state government to try those who disobey the lockdown order.
“You also see that we have apprehended a lot of people who have disobeyed the stay-at-home order by the state government.
“I do not know what they are doing outside even when they know that there is a lockdown in the state.
“The magistrate is here and those that cannot be fined will be taken to the correctional centre. We have made the arrest, it is left for the court to do its work.
“We have been advising people not to go out. This lockdown is for the benefit of all of us. We do not want any casualty in this state,” he said.
