The Lagos State Government has arraigned 65 offenders at the Special Offences (Mobile) Court for violating the midnight curfew imposed on residents of the state to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Head, Public Affairs Unit of Lagos State Task Force, Adebayo Taofiq, the suspects were being tried for moving on new year day despite the curfew in the state.
“The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) today arraigned 65 offenders at the Special Offences (Mobile) Court over movement during ‘Covid19 Mid-night Curfew’ on new year day in Lagos,” the statement partly read.
According to the Chairman of the Agency, Shola Jejeloye, the suspects “were arrested around Lekki, Surulere and Ikeja during a midnight enforcement operation on new year day as directed by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police CP Hakeem Odumosu.”
Jejeloye said that 11 vehicles were also impounded for movement during the mid-night curfew, adding that that the state government will not hesitate in bringing the full weight of the law to bear on any person or organisation caught breaching ‘Public Health Regulations and Protocols’ with regards to the COVID19 disease.
“If we don’t do these, the surge will continue and with the new strain of COVID19 which is becoming much more difficult to handle than the old strain, the Lagos State Government will continue to insist and encourage Lagosians to please obey all the COVID19 Protocols,” he said.
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While asking citizens to always wear face masks at all times, Jejeloye advised Lagos residents to properly wash or sanitize their hands and practice physical distancing in compliance with COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Meanwhile, all the 65 arraigned offenders have been fined ₦20,000 each with an additional one hour ‘Community Service’ after they all pleaded ‘guilty’ to the one-count charge of breaching the curfew order in contrary to ‘Regulation 15 (3a-d) of the Lagos State Infectious Diseases (Emergency Prevention) Regulation 2020’
Magistrate Lateef Layeni, Magistrate Shakirat Obasa and Magistrate Oluwatosin Fagboun of the Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile) Court who presided over the matter fined the owners of the 11 impounded vehicles ₦50,000 each.
