Baauchi establishes mobile courts to try lockdown violators

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has directed the state Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Umar, to constitute a mobile court that will try anyone found violating the partial lockdown imposed by the government in the state.

The governor, who gave the directive immediately after signing an executive order into law at the Government House Bauchi, on Tuesday, said the law was in furtherance of the directive giving to stop the CoVID-19 pandemic.

Governor Bala, who disclosed that the law, tagged: ‘Bauchi state Infectious Disease Prevention and Regulations 2020″ is backed by an executive order.

“The law is in the exercise of the powers conferred on me in the constitution and that is why we crave the indulgence of the chief judge of Bauchi state and of course the speaker, that if there is any need, it will go through legislation.

“But, for the time been we are coming back with this because we are always governer by the rule of law. We want to do things by the law; the rule says that we must clearly set out what we want to achieve,” he said.

The governor said the partial lockdown has necessitated partial closure of markets, banning the operations of commercial motorcycle operators in Bauchi state, restricted the number of persons that can be taken in commercial tricycles, including banning all public gatherings among others, as spelt out in the executive order.

“We are doing all these with absolute sense of responsibility and we regret any inconveniences that the order would have caused. But, we are doing it in furtherance of the need to protect lives and properties in Bauchi state,” the governor explained.

Governor Bala, who said exemptions have been given to people that will provide essential services, said they must wear face masks and observe all the protocol needed for curbing the spread of the disease.

According to the law, pedestrians who violate the lockdown order, those on essential services that failed to wear face masks and violators of social distancing in any event, and any motorcyclist caught violating the ban will pay N5, 000 each.

He added that tricycles that are not exercising social distancing and wearing of masks will pay N10,000, motor vehicles operating beyond the borders that have been closed will pay N20,000, commercial vehicles coming from Jos or Kano without order will pay N20,000 while truck drivers will pay N30,000.

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Speaking while presenting the executive order before the governor, Bauchi state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Yakubu Kirfi, said that the executive order number 001 of 2020 came as a result of coronavirus pandemic.

He said that law was meant to give flesh to the pronouncements made by the governor in his recent statewide broadcast on the partial lockdown order imposed to curb the spread of the virus in the state.

According to him, the regulations are based on laws and the constitution of Nigeria, the quarantine law, applicable under the federal government and the Bauchi state laws regarding public health.