The Ekiti State Government on Thursday said no fewer than 150 persons had so far been prosecuted and convicted within the last four days of enforcing mandatory wearing of facemasks.
The State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Wale Fapohunda, who made this known to newsmen, in Ado Ekiti, said the culprits bagged various sentences, including fines.
Fapohunda said that the fines ranged from N3,000 to N5,000 and included community service, depending on gravity of the offence.
He expressed concern that a large number of residents choose to continually flout the COVID-19 guidelines, especially as it concerned facemask wearing, in spite of the sensitisation put in place.
“We have prosecuted over 150 of those persons who are facemask use violators in the last few days at the Special Offences Court, which was set up to try the offenders.
“I wonder why these set of people have refused to comply with the regulations put in place to prevent them from contracting the COVID-19.
“The violators, who are convicted, have been getting fines of between N3,000 and N5,000 each at the discretion of the magistrate in addition to community service.
“Our worry as a government is what will it cost them to buy and use face masks to protect themselves?
“But we will continue to embark on sensitisation as the enforcement goes on.
“Our mission is to prevent escalation of COVID-19 in the state.
“This is why we will continue to implore our people to use facemask, observe social/physical distancing, including other regulations to keep the virus away,” Fapohunda said.
He said that the offenders were arrested and convicted for running foul of the Ekiti State Coronavirus Disease (Prevention of Infection) Regulations, 2020.
