Kaduna Government Sets up Mobile Courts to Try Violators of Lockdown Order

The Kaduna State Government on Friday said it had set up mobile courts to try violators of its lockdown order.

The state’s Solicitor-General, Chris Umar, in a letter dated April 22, to the Chief Registrar of Kaduna State High Court, said the decision was taken by the State Executive Council to enforce the executive order.

The solicitor-general said that the mobile courts would deal with violators summarily without the need for the present cumbersome procedure of taking offenders to court over such violation.

According to Umar, magistrates that will preside over the mobile courts have already been assigned by the state Ministry of Justice.

He explained that the magistrates would be sitting at various locations across the city starting with Kakuri, Kawo, Magajin Gari, Rigasa, Sabon-Tasha, Maraban Rido and Rigachikun.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, had invoked the 1999 Constitution, Sections 2 and 8 of the Quarantine Act of 1926 and the Kaduna State Public Health Law of 1917 and imposed a lockdown throughout the state on March 26.

Violations of the restriction of movement order, social distancing and the gathering of large crowds have been reported.

The state government had threatened to sanction traditional leaders of communities where such violations took place.

The deputy governor had also threatened to revert to the 24 hour-lockdown, by closing the two-day weekly window of Tuesdays and Wednesdays that allows residents to re-stock foodstuffs.

(NAN)