The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA ) Mobile Court has convicted 42 persons at different locations within the territory for violating the stay-at-home presidential order.
Mr Ikharo Attah, Chairman, FCTA Enforcement Team on Restrictions of Movement, gave the figures to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
Attah said that establishment of the mobile court had strengthened operations of the team and reinvigorated its commitment toward achieving objectives of the lockdown order.
He said that although none of the convicts had been sent to any correctional centre, they paid fines for the offences they pleaded guilty to.
The chairman also disclosed that about 38 motorcycles were impounded in Dutse Alhaji for violating the order banning motorcycle operation.
According to him, the convicts often pleaded guilty to the offences, but prayed for leniency.
He also said that while judges remained firm in administration of justice, they used human face in punishing the violators.
Attah urged the residents to obey the sit-at-home order and save themselves from hardship that might follow disobedience.
” Today, about 42 persons were convicted by the mobile court that sat at four different locations around the territory.
”The mobile court operations are both backed by the Department of Road Traffic Services and Abuja Environmental Protection Board laws.
“The enforcement team has stopped being the prosecutor and the judge. What we do is: once we arrest violators of the lockdown, we hand them over to the court.
” We invaded a beer parlour in Dutse Alhaji that is overcrowded in spite the lockdown order.
“The people were arrested and handed over to the court.
”The judges are considerate. Most suspects plead guilty and are given fines to pay,” he said.
Attah added that the fines were given at the discretion of the judges.
“Vehicles impounded will remain with the vehicle inspection officers until the end of the pandemic,” he said. (NAN)
