Kaduna mobile courts convict 605 lockdown violators

Kaduna State Ministry of Justice has said that 605 culprits were convicted between Thursday and Friday last week for violating the lockdown order given by the state government on March 26 as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

A statement signed by Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General of Kaduna State, Aisha Dikko, on Monday, said that the about N1,909,600 was realised as fines from the convictions, adding that 41 offenders were given community service.

Nigerian Tribune recalls that Kaduna State set up mobile courts on April 24, to summarily try curfew violators, in its efforts to preserve public safety, following the State Executive Council’s directive.

The mobile courts are located at Kakuri, Kawo and Magajin Gari, including Rigasa, Sabon Tasha and Maraban Rido as well as Rigachukun, Kaduna-Kano border, Abuja-Kaduna expressway.

The commissioner said that “a breakdown of the offences shows that people were convicted for not wearing face masks in public and violating the restriction of movement order.”

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According to her, Gabasawa mobile court had the highest number of convictions on Friday, where 75 violators were fined a total of N67,500, adding that the Abuja-Kaduna Tollgate followed next with 66 convictions but with a higher fine of N529,500.

‘’Magajin Gari mobile court had the lowest culprits of 17 people, who were fined N75,000 collectively. But the Sabon Tasha court had the lowest fines of N40,000,’’ she noted.

The Attorney General warned against violations of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Partial Lockdown Order 2020, adding that offenders shall, in addition to being fined, may undergo community service for a minimum of seven days.

‘’In addition, violators may have their motorcycles, tricycles or motor vehicles impounded and forfeited to the government,’’ the commissioner further warned.

According to Dikko, violation of stay-at-home order and failure to wear face masks attracts a fine of N5,000 each while failure to maintaining physical distancing attracts a fine of N7,000.

The Attorney General said that unauthorised riding of motorcycles and tricycles during the lockdown, as well as driving motor vehicles, trucks and buses, attract N5,000, N10,000, N20,000, N30,000, N20,000 respectively.