Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt/Sunny Nwaknwo, Aba
THE Port Harcourt Magistrate Court, Rivers State, has convicted five persons for violating the provisions of the state’s Quarantine Coronavirus and Other Infectious Diseases Regulations and Executive Orders.
Twenty seven people including 23 women were arrested by the operatives of the Abia State Vigilante Service in a truck at the Ekwereazu boundary between Abia and Akwa Ibom State, as they were being smuggled into the state.
The five convicts in Rivers had pleaded guilty to a five-count slammed on each of them by the office of the Attorney-General of the state. The court also ordered them to pay fines.
Thirty-three other persons, who pleaded not guilty were remanded at the State Isolation Centre to undergo screening for COVID-19 pending the consideration of their bail applications and trial.
The Office of the Attorney General of Rivers State arraigned 38 accused persons before the court.
Meanwhile, Governor Nyesom Wike has insisted that the palliatives being distributed across the local government areas should not be seen as campaign materials.
The governor spoke while distributing foodstuffs to the less-privileged in Opobo-Nkoro Local Government Area.
Wike, who was represented by the members of the Rivers State COVID-19 Palliative Committee said that the foodstuffs were meant to cushion the impact of the sit-at-home directive.
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The Chairman of the Committee, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, who spoke through the Chairman of Ahoada West Local Government Area, Hope Ikiriko urged leaders in charge of the 11 wards in the area to ensure that the foodstuffs were distributed to the less-privileged.
He said: “The governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has provided the sum of N2bn to purchase food items for the less privileged in the state. He has instructed that these food items should be given to the vulnerable. It is not a campaign material. This is not time for campaign.”
27 restriction violators arrested in Abia
Operatives of the Abia State Vigilante Service have arrested 27 people including 24 market women parked in a container truck at the Ekwereazu boundary between Abia and Akwa Ibom State.
They were allegedly being smuggled into the state from Akwa Ibom.
Arrested with them were the truck driver and two of his conductors for violating the border closure and lockdown order by the State Government.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Mr. Onyebuchi Ememanka said that the truck driver claimed that he was going to Aba to purchase stock fish, but decided to assist the stranded women.
The Governor’s CPS said the women were sent back to Akwa Ibom from that spot that they were apprehended.
He stated that the driver of the commercial vehicle and his conductors were arrested and handed over to the State Police Command for further action, adding that the vehicle was also impounded in compliance with the earlier directives of the Governor.
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