No fewer than 176 defaulters of the Delta State government’s stay-at-home order meant to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic have been convicted by the mobile courts set up by the state Chief Judge, Justice Marshal Umukoro.
They were among the 243 defendants arraigned before the courts located in Asaba for Delta north senatorial district, Ughelli for central and Warri for South senatorial zone.
Sixty-seven others were however discharged.
The defendants were arraigned under the Delta State Infectious Disease (Emergency Prevention) Regulation 2020 punishable under section 5 of the Quarantine Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, and Belts State Infectious Disease (Emergency Prevention) Regulation 2020 punishable under Section 203 of the Criminal Code Law, CAP C21, Laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2006.
Charge No. MU/PH/ 7/ 2020 Attorney General of Delta State VS Samuel Igbuku and 10 ors, reads: ” That you Samuel Igbuku and 10 ors on or about the 9th day of April 2020 at Ughelli, a place within the jurisdiction of this court was found moving about without a lawful permit thereby violating the restriction of movement directive/order issued by the Governor of Delta State and commit an offence contrary to the Delta State Infectious Disease (Emergency Prevention) Regulation 2020 and punishable under section 5 of the Quarantine Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.
“That you Samuel Igbuku and 10 ors on the 9th day of April 2020 at Ughelli within the Jurisdiction of this Court without lawful excuse did disobey a lawful order issued by the executive Governor of Delta by flouting the restriction of movement/order made pursuant to the Delta State Infectious Disease (Emergency Prevention) Regulation 2020 thereby commits an offence contrary to and punishable under section 203 of the Criminal Code Law, CAP C21, Laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2020.”
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A similar one count charge was read to the defendants in Asaba and Ughelli courts.
The convicts who pleaded guilty to the one-count charge were arraigned before Chief Magistrates Odjugo Ena ( Ughelli Magisterial Division ), Helen Okonkwo ( Asaba Magisterial Division ) and Sohwo M. Edoja ( Warri Magisterial Division ) even as 67 were discharged.
Breakdown of the figure shows that in Asaba, the Capital City 127 were arraigned, 89 sentenced and 38 discharged. 45 arraigned, 14 discharged and 31 sentenced in Ughelli, while in Warri 71 arraigned, 56 sentenced and 15 discharged.
Most of the convicts, who pleaded guilty with sundry defences of going to purchase food items for their families and engaging in daily job to eke out a living, were fined ranging from five hundred to three thousand naira.
The courts also made an order for vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles belonging to some of the defaulters to be detained until the period of the Lockdown was over, even as others were sentenced to do community services for two or more weeks as the merit of the case demands.
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