Billy Graham Abel, Yola
A mobile court in Adamawa State has sentenced twenty-one people to two hours of community service each over their violation of the two-week lockdown order imposed by the state government. The court acquitted ten others for presenting genuine reasons for breaking the order.
The Adamawa State Police Command had earlier arrested over thirty offenders in a bid to enforce the lockdown order by the state government.
The offenders were arraigned before a mobile court set up by the state government to punish lockdown violators.
The court, which was presided over by Judge Daniel John, while listening to the offenders at different times, convicted and sentenced 21 of them to two hours of community service each, acquitting ten others.
The offenders were asked to clean the gates of the Jimeta modern market.
Trial judge Daniel John, while issuing the sentence told the offenders that “this exercise is not to punish the citizens but to protect ourselves, the state and the country at large.”
The judge stressed that “the order is for our own good, hence the leniency for offenders because it was not meant to be hard on the people but to ensure compliance because no one is above the law.”
Earlier, police spokesman Suleiman Nguroje said in an interview that joint security operations are to ensure public compliance with the lockdown order.
He explained that the situation calls for decisive steps to be taken to check the spread of COVID-19.
“We have impounded some vehicles and they will appear before the mobile court,” Nguoje said.
He warned residents whose duties are not listed as being essential to stay at home, reminding them that security agents are out to nab offenders.
He, however, advised security personnel to be very civil in dealing with the public.