An Oredo Magistrate Court Thursday sentenced 11 persons to three months of community service for violating COVID-19 protocols.
Chief Magistrate Bright Eraze sentenced the convicts for disobeying the directive of the Edo State Government on compulsory use of facemasks and the restriction of movement.
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The convicted persons were arrested at various locations in the state capital without a face mask.
They pleaded guilty to the offence and begged for leniency.
The court ordered the convicted persons to carry out three hours of community service within the premises of the Edo State High Court, Benin City 13 persons were arraigned before the court but two of them were discharged and acquitted by the court on the ground of no witness to the alleged offence committed.
Nine of them were convicted for disobeying the directive of the Edo State Government by refusing to wear facemask thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 8 (6) (C) of the Edo State Dangerous Infectious Diseases (Emergency Prevention) Regulation 2020 and Section 203 of the Criminal Code Law.
Two others were convicted for disobeying the restrictions of movement order, thereby committing an offence contrary to the regulation 16 (3) of the Edo State Dangerous Infectious Diseases (Emergency Prevention) Regulation 2020 and Section 203 of the Criminal Code Law.