…Protest rocks Sapele over lockdown
Following the violation of the stay-at-home order by Delta state Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, no fewer than 102 violators were on Tuesday convicted by mobile courts sitting in Asaba and Warri, respectively.
In Asaba, the mobile courts convicted 72 persons for violating the stay- at -home order as the Presiding Magistrate, Maurice Okwuasaba in one of the courts said that 67 defaulters were arraigned before him, while 57 were convicted.
The convicts pleaded guilty to the charges that were read before to them at the mobile court sitting at Acade, along Nnebisi Road, Asaba.
In his judgement, Magistrate Okwuasaba ordered them to pay a fine of N2000 or be detained in an isolation center for two weeks.
The second presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Helen Ikeh, convicted 15 defaulters, among who were one Femi Makoju and Jennifer Okafor, while 10 others were discharged
Jennifer Okafor, who spoke to journalists in Asaba, claimed she was arrested in her mother’s shop in front of her residence when the police swooped on her, adding that the arrest was led by one Edafe Bright, who told the court that she was arrested at a drinking bar along Jesus Saves Road in Asaba.
Magistrate Ikeh however, in her judgement, ordered Jennifer to pay a fine of N3,000 or go to jail for three weeks, while Makoju was fined N2000 or spend two weeks in prison.
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In Warri, 30 violators were arraigned before the mobile court presided over by Magistrate Eunice Sowho.
The violators were reportedly taken to court at the instance of the’ B’ Division of the Nigeria Police, Warri for violating the stay-at-home order by the state.
Majority of the defaulters were market women who pleaded guilty, but hinged their action on lack of food for their family as a result of the stay-at-home order.
In her ruling, Mrs. Sowho sentenced them to various terms of imprisonment or an option of fine as well as community labour as approved by the Warri South Local Government Area.
The magistrate warned that the sit-at-home order was the consciousness of the state government to put the spread of COVID-19 pandemic at bay and not a witch-hunting exercise.
In another development, protesters described to be women traders in Sapele Town in the early hours of Wednesday took to the streets to press home their displeasure against the lockdown order for another 14 days.
The protesters were said to have dared the military men at various check -points in Sapele, while chanting war songs including,” Okowa we are hungry,” “we have no food,” “we cannot survive another 14 days without food,” “we are not salary earners” and “we cannot sell our products again”.
The protesters were reportedly dispersed by armed policemen, but they vowed that they will defy the sit-at-home order because they are hungry and have no money to feed their children.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu described the protest as unnecessary and uncalled for.
He assured that the sit-at-home order was the only initiative to ensure total prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic disease, adding that the state government has made provision for indigent citizens which will start as soon as possible to cushion the effects of the lockdown.
He noted that modalities have been put in place to ensure that nobody was cut off from getting the palliative measures, adding that the primary beneficiaries would be the indigent and vulnerable citizens in the state.
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