A mobile court sitting at the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit in Oshodi has convicted 172 fun-seekers arrested at Cubana Night Club, Victoria Island, on Saturday by the state police command for violating COVID-19 protocols. The presiding judge requested each of the 172 violators to pay a fine of N40,000, and also sentenced them to community service. Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, had while parading them at the command headquarters in Ikeja, said, “Despite all the efforts and COVID-19 policies being rolled out by the government, most youths, who are leaders of tomorrow, still find it difficult to comply. Self-compliance is what matters most; the ladies and gentlemen here were arrested around 2 am on Saturday at the Cubana Nightclub on Victoria Island.
“When we got there, 172 violators were inside one club and were not observing social distancing. We have footage of them in the club and aiding the spread of COVID-19.
“We will charge them and we will comply with whatever decision the court makes. Our job is to get them arrested for violating COVID-19 regulations and present them before the court of law. It is at the discretion of the magistrate or the presiding judge to decide the judgment that will be meted out to them.”
“The owner of the hotel was not there, he disappeared, but recall that same happened when we raided the Victoria Club, but after his staff members called him, he came out of hiding and we charged him. The same thing happened at Club 38 in Bode Thomas, Surulere. The owner of this club will also be arrested and charged because if he didn’t open the club, people won’t go there,” he added.
This is not the first time in recent weeks that security agencies will raid clubhouses in the state and arrest fun seekers for violating the COVID-19 protocol.
In December 2020, the Lagos police had closed down Cubana nightclub for violating the COVID-19 protocol.
Recall that, on January 27, President Muhammadu Buhari signed a new law prescribing six months imprisonment for any person convicted of disobeying any COVID-19 regulation.
