Social distancing: Again, court sentences erring Lagos residents

Fourteen people who flouted the social distancing directives of the Federal and Lagos State Governments were  on Wednesday sentenced by a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court.
The court sentenced them to one month community service.
Akeem Ikeoluwa, Yakubu Musa, Segun Michael and 11 others had pleaded guilty to a charge of flouting the social distancing directives.
The prosecutor, ASP Roman Unuigbe, had told the court that the defendants committed the offence on April 7 at 10, Cooper Road, Old Musuem, Railway Compound, Ebute Meta, Lagos.
Unuigbe said they unlawfully gathered themselves in a group of more than 20 people before some escaped.
The Chief Magistrate, Peter Ojo, held that the defendants should be quarantined for 14 days at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba or any other facility available in the state, and must undergo the COVID-19 test.
He said whoever would test positive for the virus must undergo treatment.
If the defendants are negative, they should be handed over to the community and enforcement officers to serve their sentence at the Lagos State Ministry of Environment for a period of one month between the hours of 9am and 3pm daily.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the offence contravened Regulation 8 (a) (b), 17 (1) (I) of the Lagos State Infectious Disease (Emergency Prevention) Regulation, 2020, and punishable under Section 58 of Public Health Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Also, one Tosin Oluwadamilare appeared before the same court for allegedly being in a gathering of more than 20 people.
The prosecutor, DSP A.A. Adegoke, told the court that Oluwadamilare committed the offence on March 29 at 9:30pm at Iyana-Iba area of the state.
Adegoke said the defendant failed to comply with the directives aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.
The Chief Magistrate ordered that he should  be kept in isolation  for 14 days and undergo COVID-19 test and, if negative, should be brought back to court to face trial.
He adjourned the case until April 21 for mention.