Two clergymen, Pastor Daramola Abiodun and Sunday Akinwade, were yesterday arraigned before an Ado-Ekiti magistrate court for allegedly conducting a religious gathering involving more than 30 persons on Sunday.
The Ekiti State government alleged that the clergymen’s action contravened the stay-at-home order it had issued in its effort to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
The prosecutor, Mr Femi Onipede, told the court that the two pastors committed the offence on April 19, 2020, at about 10am at the Source of Salvation Ministries, Omisanjana, Ado-Ekiti, “without lawful excuse.”
Onipede said the defendants were arraigned on a two-count charge of conducting a religious gathering of more than 30 persons and violating a lawful order contrary to, and punishable under Section 203 of the Criminal Code Law of Ekiti State 2012.
He further stated that the clergymen were arrested during the monitoring by security operatives to ensure that churches conduct their programmes as directed by the state government to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
The defendants pleaded guilty to the offences.
The magistrate, Mr Lanre Owoleso, convicted the two pastors. He ordered them to pay the fine of N50,000 each and be engaged in one hour community service on the two-count charge.
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