The offenders

By Benson Michael

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) on Tuesday arraigned 65 offenders at the Special Offences (Mobile) Court for violating the 12 midnight curfew on New Year Day.

Chairman of the Agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye disclosed that the 65 offenders were arrested around Lekki, Surulere and Ikeja during a midnight enforcement operations on New Year Day as directed by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police CP Hakeem Odumosu.

The Chairman disclosed further that 11 vehicles were also impounded for movement during the mid-night curfew.

Jejeloye stated that the Lagos State Government would not hesitate in bringing the full weight of the law to bear on any person or organization caught breaching ‘Public Health Regulations and Protocols’ with regards to the COVID-19 disease.

According to the Chairman “if we don’t do these, the surge will continue and with the new strain of COVID-19 which is becoming much more difficult to handle than the old strain, the Lagos State Government will continue to insist and encourage Lagosians to please obey all the COVID19 Protocols.”

Jejeloye, however, urged citizens to always wear face masks at all times, properly wash or sanitize their hands and practice physical distancing in compliance with COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Meanwhile, all the 65 arraigned offenders were fined N20,000 each with additional one hour ‘Community Service’ after they all pleaded ‘guilty’ to the one count charge of breaching the curfew order in contrary to ‘Regulation 15 (3a-d) of the Lagos State Infectious Diseases (Emergency Prevention) Regulation 2020’

Also, owners of the 11 impounded vehicles were fined N50,000 each by the court

Magistrate Lateef Layeni, Magistrate Shakirat Obasa and Magistrate Oluwatosin Fagboun of the Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile) Court presided over the matter.