Barely 24 hours after the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa threatened to prosecute violators of the stay at home order issued by the state government, a mobile court in Ughelli has convicted 12 persons for violating the State Government directives.
The mobile court was set up by the Chief Justice of the State, Justice Mashall Mukoro to prosecute anybody who disobeys the order.
The Ughelli mobile court headed by, Chief Magistrate E.A Odjugo tried about 20 defaulters from Ughelli metropolis, Agbarho and Orerokpe in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State of which twelve persons were convicted and eight discharged and acquitted.
According to the prosecuting Counsel, the Attorney General of Delta State Mr. Peter Mrakpor who was represented by the Assistant Director, Ministry of Justice, Delta State, Mr. Peter Daubry, P. Kwode and other, said, “We are here to enforce the order of the Governor of Delta State in our own way through the law.
“The enforcement of law and other has various aspect and the first aspect is the police arresting violators of offences provided by the law and move to the stage of prosecution.
“If you arrest anybody without prosecution, it amount to the bridge of the right of the people and that is why we are here to prosecute the offenders of the lockdown rule issued by the governor of Delta State.
“This is a mobile court in Ughelli assigned specially to deal with this type of matters and today we had about 19 persons brought before the court and a good number of them were discharged and some were found guilty”.
Those who pleaded guilty were sentenced accordingly and fines were imposed instead of sending them to prison but if they cannot pay the fines, they would have no option that to serve their various prison terms.
Those convicted where given an option of fine ranging from 2000 to 2,500 or to one day community service or pick debris at the Nigeria Police Station Ughelli.
