Lockdown: Katsina Inaugurates Mobile Courts to Prosecute Violators

Lockdown: Katsina Inaugurates Mobile Courts to Prosecute Violators

By Francis Sardauna

The Katsina State Government has inaugurated two mobile courts to try violators of the 14-day stay-at-home order given by Governor Aminu Bello Masari to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The magistrate courts designated for the prosecution of offenders was inaugurated by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar on Tuesday.

The courts, situated at Kofar-Kaura and Kofar-Guga in the state capital, are to operate daily pending the lifting of the order by the state government.

Masari, had in a press conference at the Government House last Sunday, shut down Katsina, the state capital, following the confirmation of two cases of Covid-19 by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), bringing the total number of cases in the state to 12.

The state government had earlier shut down Daura and Dutsin-Ma Local Government Areas.

The stay-at-home order, which commenced Tuesday, according to the governor, was to enable a thorough process of contact tracing and identify those who may have been exposed to the two confirmed victims.

Addressing journalists shortly after visiting the mobile courts on Tuesday, Abubakar said the courts are empowered with the mandate of arresting and prosecuting violators of the lockdown order.

He said: “We set up two mobile courts to try offenders or those that breach the order. Those who violate the order will be sentenced or fined. Vehicles will be impounded.

“Under the Katsina State penal code law, whoever disobeys any order has committed an offence as provided under the law. Therefore, violators of the state government’s order must face the wrath of the law.”

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