Four Lagos-returnees Convicted For Attempting To Sneak Into Ekiti

An Ado Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday arraigned four persons who attempted to sneak into Ekiti State from Lagos while the COVID-19 lockdown is still in force.

The quartet, Afolabi Shuaib, Daramola Sulaimon, Ibe Gregory and Adeniyi Idowu were brought before Chief Magistrate Abdulhamid Lawal on a three-count charge.

The prosecutor, Mr Clement Ayoola, the Director of Evaluation and Monitoring Department in the Ministry of Justice, told the court that the defendants were nabbed at Igbara Odo while attempting to illegally enter Ekiti while hiding inside the truck.

He said that the driver converted his truck with the registration number EPE 964 LP to a commercial vehicle and transported the other defendants from Alaba Market in Lagos State to Ekiti State.

The prosecutor noted that the offence contrary to the provision of Regulation 2 (1) (a) punishable under Regulation 12 of the Ekiti State Coronavirus (Pevention of Infection) Regulations 1-4, 2020 made pursuant to Section 8 of the Quarantine Act, Cap Q2, LFN, 2004.

All the defendants, however pleaded guilty to the three count charge.

Lawal, in his ruling said against the background that Lagos is the epicenter of Coronavirus in Nigeria, convicted and imposed a fine of N30,000 on Shuaib, the driver of the truck which conveyed them from Lagos.

The three passengers who hid inside the truck were also convicted and bagged a fine of N10,000 each for violating government order on restriction of movement across borders.