Lagos Court Sentences Woman To 14 Days Community Service For Flouting Covid-19 Law

• “Since her arrival at the said hotel, the COVID surveillance team visited the place twice for routine monitoring without seeing her. They were even told by Hotel Staff that, on one occasion, she left to attend her daughter’s wedding and came back late in the evening.

An Ogba Magistrate Court has sentenced one Mrs Raji Sekinat Oluwakemi, a traveller from India to 14 days Community Service for flouting the Coronavirus Pandemic Law 2021 of the State.

According to the Chief State Counsel of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Benedicta Shokoya, the judgement was sequel to the arraignment of the defendant by the Directorate on behalf of the State Government on a two-count charge.

She said the defendant pleaded guilty to the charges of flouting the COVID-19 Law, which stipulates that a traveller into the State must self-isolate for seven days, adding that the two-count charge of breaking out of confinement and constituting a nuisance to the public are contrary to Section 17(2) of the Coroner Pandemic Emergency Law 2021 and Section 6(m) of the Public Health Law of Lagos State 2015 respectively.

According to her, “The defendant, Sekinat Oluwakemi Raji, with Passport Number B00166532 came into Lagos State on a Qatar Airline flight on the 23rd of May 2021 from India, one of the ‘Red’ listed countries, and was transported to one of the Isolation Hotels, Airport Hotel, Ikeja”.

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“Since her arrival at the said hotel, the COVID surveillance team visited the place twice for routine monitoring without seeing her. They were even told by Hotel Staff that, on one occasion, she left to attend her daughter’s wedding and came back late in the evening. Unfortunately, the passenger’s Day-Seven test was conducted and returned positive despite having a negative Day-Two test”, she added.

The Chief State Counsel, therefore, prayed the court to convict the defendant accordingly having pleaded guilty to the charges.

In her judgement, Magistrate Adeola sentenced the defendant to 14 days Community Service, which is to be carried out at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja with a fine of N15,000 for each offence.

“The community service is to run concurrently while the fine is to be paid separately for both charges”, the Magistrate said.

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