Executive order: Police in Delta arraigned 30 persons over lockdown

No fewer than 30 persons were on Thursday arrested and arraigned before a Mobile Court sitting in Warri South Council Area for violation of the stay-at-home order by the state government as a part of measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The suspects who were arrested by police in different parts of the state were arraigned before E.M Sowho.

The state government had given a 14-day stay-at-home order with effect from April 1, as a measure to contain the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

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.

The prosecuting counsel, Sunday Irabor (DSP) told the court that the suspects failed to comply with the lockdown order as directed by the state government.

According to him, their action contravened the Regulation 2, Subsection 1 of Infectious Disease (emergency prevention regulations) 2020 of Delta government, adding that the offence was punishable under section 61 of the Public Health Law of Delta, Nigeria 2006.

The suspects pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge.

Magistrate Sowho, however, in her discretion, having heard from the accused, fined them between N500 and N1000 each to serve as deterrent to others.

One of the accused, Freeborn, who was sentenced to a community service, advised the public to obey the government order, noting that it was in the interest of the general public.

Earlier, before the court proceeding, the Warri Area Commander, ACP Mohammed Garba, said that the security men had apprehended so many defaulters, adding that they would continue to enforce the order.

“You can see that we are at the Magistrate Court 1, Warri, 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 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 arrests; it is left for the court to do its work.