The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a total of 620 people for violating the lockdown order directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
President Buhari had issued the directive in March, as well as in Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory, to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The spokesman for the police command, Bala Elkana, confirmed the arrest of the violators in a statement on Sunday.
He explained that the arrests were made in three days while those apprehended included a cleric, strippers and clubbers, and travellers coming from different parts of the country.
“On 21/4/2020 at about 2000hours, acting on information, operatives from Denton Police Station arrested 95 inter States travellers at Bhojson area, Ebute Metta in seven commercial buses,” Elkana said.
He noted that the buses were impounded while the drivers and passengers were charged to a Mobile Court and sentenced accordingly.
The command’s spokesman added that 211 violators of the lockdown order were arrested in different parts of the state and also charged to court.
On Thursday last week, he said the police arrested 10 suspects for organising a party at Lekki Garden and were arraigned in court on three counts charges and found guilty as charged.
The court, Elkana stated, sentenced the suspects to six months imprisonment and community service, to run concurrently.
He disclosed that 121 other violators of the lockdown order were arrested in different parts of Lagos and charged to court and were awarded fines ranging from N5,000 to N10,000 and two hours of community services.
“On 24/4/2020 at about 0130hours, acting on credible intelligence, operatives from Idimu Police Station arrested 39 suspects in a hotel at Idimu, for clubbing and striptease. This is in total violation of the lockdown order and social distancing regulations.
“Also, on 24/4/2020 at about 2030hours, Enforcement team from the Rapid Response Squad arrested one Suleiman Abubakar, the Imam of Sheik Central Mosque, Mile 12 for holding evening prayers (Maghrib and Isha prayers) in the mosque with a large number of worshippers in violation of the social distancing regulations.
“A total of 288 violators of the lockdown order were over the weekend, arrested in different parts of the state,” the state government said.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Hakeem Odumosu, has urged the residents to continue to be law-abiding, especially during the lockdown period.
He warned against spreading fake news to create panic and recycling old videos on social media with new captions that suggest that the incidents happened during the lockdown period in Lagos.
