17th April, 2020
A mobile court in FCT, Abuja has convicted 42 people at different locations for violating the stay-at-home presidential order.
Mr. Ikharo Attah, Chairman, FCTA Enforcement Team on Restrictions of Movement, gave the figures to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
Attah said that the establishment of the mobile court had strengthened operations of the team and reinvigorated its commitment toward achieving objectives of the lockdown order.
He said that although none of the convicts had been sent to any correctional centre, they paid fines for the offences for which they pleaded guilty.
The chairman also disclosed that about 38 motorcycles were impounded in Dutse Alhaji for violating the order banning motorcycle operation.
Attah urged the residents to obey the sit-at-home order and save themselves from the hardship that might follow disobedience.
”Today, about 42 persons were convicted by the mobile court that sat at four different locations around the territory.
“The enforcement team has stopped being the prosecutor and the judge. What we do is: once we arrest violators of the lockdown, we hand them over to the court.
”We invaded a beer parlour in Dutse Alhaji that is overcrowded in spite of the lockdown order. The people were arrested and handed over to the court. The judges are considerate. Most suspects plead guilty and are given fines to pay,”.
“Vehicles impounded will remain with the vehicle inspection officers until the end of the pandemic,” he added.