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Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
A driver attached to The Punch newspapers, Joshua Momoh and six others were sentenced by an Ado-Ekiti Magistrate’s Court for violating the lockdown order in Ekiti State.
Momoh was arrested in Ikere-Ekiti on Sunday for allegedly hiding six passengers inside his company’s vehicle while on a delivery assignment to the state.
Others arraigned with Momoh were Sesan Ajayi, Owoola Ilesanmi, Joseph Agboola, Adeyinka Toyosi, Alabi Bukola and Oluwatuyi Abiodun.
The Director for Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr Julius Ajibare, told the court that all the defendants committed the offence on April 19 at about 8.00 am in Ikere-Ekiti.
Momoh was found guilty for conveying six others with the vehicle of the newspaper house on two count charge.
Momoh, will pay a fine of N30,000 on both charges and community services for two days.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Abdulhamid Lawal, sentenced all the defendants, 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th defendant on Count 1 to the sum of N5,000 and two days community service each.
The 4th defendant, Joseph Agboola, absconded on the way to the court and was issued a warrant of arrest by the court.
The 5th defendant, Adeyinka Toyosi, said she was a nurse working in Lagos at the National Orthopaedic hospital and a nursing officer.
She was slammed with a fine of N2,000 for trying to use a restless means to get back to Lagos as an essential worker.
The DPP said the defendants violated the provisions of Regulation 2 (1) (b) and punishable under Regulation 12 of the Ekiti State Coronavirus (Prevention of Infection) Regulations, 2020 made pursuant to section 8 of the Quarantine Act, Cap Q2, LFN, 2004.
