27 sentenced for trading on walkways, face mask violation, others in Edo

Among the convicts are eighteen face masks violators, four violators of state waste disposal laws and five others for displaying wares on walkways.

The Edo State government had imposed the compulsory use of face masks in public as a strategy to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

The Prosecuting counsels, Mr A Ayo told the court that the 27 persons were apprehended within Benin metropolis and they pleaded guilty to the offences.

Presiding Chief Magistrate, Mr. Rusberth Imafidon, sentenced the convicted face mask offenders to community service, three hours a day for two days, without the option of a fine.

He also sentenced the waste disposal offenders to community service of three hours daily, without the option of a fine.

The walk-way offenders also received the same sentence of three hours of community service but were given an option of N5, 000 fine.

The Chief Magistrate said the community service sentence given to the offenders was in line with the Correctional Centre of Non-custodian regulation.

He warned that law enforcement officers would handle the offenders during the punishment period.