Covid-19: How Police , Courts are exposing violators,suspects to Corona virus. 

By Patience Ogbo. 

Investigations  conducted   and findings by  mandated reporters and lawyers  show that the policemen rarely  protect themselves with facemasks , use of sanitisers and ensure they maintain social distance with suspects and visitors. 

Also, mass  arrests and mass prosecution which the government said is aimed at deterring residents from leaving their homes  is however not done in accordance with the WHO measures of ensuring social distance, wearing of face masks and washing of hands therefore causing fear of the spread of the Covid-19 virus in the State.

Speaking on how he and others were forced into a police van and taken to an overcrowded court room, an alleged violator of the stay -at-home order Victor Okafor  said. 

" I was coming home from buying foodstuff at Ikorodu area of Lagos State when I was arrested and forced inside a van. I met over twenty persons in the police van and the police kept moving us from one place to another and arrested more people into the van. At the end we were more than thirty persons. Some of us wore nose masks ,others did not. We started shouting and pleading with  police for putting us like Sardine fishes  without  ensuring that we observe social distance in the van but all our pleas fell on deaf ears. When we got to SCIID Panti , I told the policemen that I went out to buy food but they ignored me. The police man was sitting close to us.It is strange that they are arresting us for violating the law on lockdown whereas they are also guilty of not ensuring that suspects and alleged violators of the lockdown  are made to observe social distance during arrest. I was later allowed to leave the station after a senior officer interrogated us and saw some of us with foodstuff. 

Another suspect who simply identified himself as Kingley said " I am a vegetable dealer at Ikorodu and I and other of our colleagues well over 30 of us  were arrested about 4pm on Friday  by policemen from the Shagamu Road police station  and we were taken to SCIID panti Yaba. There  were others in the van but no one of us was made to observe social distance. When we got to Panti the offices could take all of us so we were made to stand inside the premises. The premises was filled with people as different divisions were bringing suspects and others alleged to have violated  the Sit-at-Home  order. One of the officers said the cell in Panti was filled up so they moved us to Area C command where we were detained from Friday  till  Monday as  the mobile court had closed for the day. The cell in Area C was filled with suspects and the police did not ensure we wore face masks, washed our hands nor did we observe social distance. The police brought us back to SCIID on Monday but the DCP after listening to us ordered that we should be released.  The process of our arrest and detention, people can transfer the virus. We all are at risk of Covid -19 because of police actions and negligence". 

Another alleged violator Idowu Fashionable said " I was arrested along side over 400 persons over the Sit-at- Home order. We were brought to SCIID Panti from different parts of Lagos State. My observation was that the police taking our statements did it observe social distance with us. We were made to file in a straight line holding one another's clothes and hands without observing social distance. When we were taken to the court, well over 400 violators filled the court and the premises of the court at the with no recourse to social distance. I began to wonder , is court and the  police not also  spreading the Covid-19 virus this way? Look at the way they put everybody in a van , then too many people in police custody and a large crowd in court without  the court observing of social distance. You can see that if Covid 19 is spreading in Lagos State, the police and courts are responsible for people getting the virus"

Another alleged violator Segun Dipo said " Not all of us are violating the order deliberately but police just bring everyone inside blackmarie van to the station before we were conveyed to the court. The court was overcrowded  Some of us paid N5000 while others paid 2000 but were given receipt of N1000. It seems the government is  interested in making money off violators  than halting the spreading of the virus since the violators are not made to observe social distance during arrest and in the court". 

A human right lawyer, Barr. End Sarah Unobe Chief Executive Officer of the International Center for Human Rights Non Violence and Safety Awareness said police should implement better and safer  strategies  during arrest and prosecution.
She said " From the arrests, to the stations and to the court room, there is no observance  of social distance. I feel there is need to think of better and safer ways of punishing the violators that will not  put the the police, those arrested and the court workers including visitors at risk of Covid-19".

Since the lockdown imposed by the federal  government on March 30th, the police in Lagos State  have arrested and prosecuted well over 1000 violators of the lockdown and Stay- at- home order.

Those arrested by the  Lagos State police command include  over 200 joggers , over 30 Strip club attendees,over 60 fun seekers at a party  and several others arrested on the streets and other places.

These arrests also  include popular Nollywood  actress Funke Akindele Bello and her husband.

Investigations at the courts  and police stations according to sources, show that the state command arrest nothing less than 400 violators of the sit at home order  every day.

The sources added that these alleged  violators upon their arrest   by officers from  various stations  are jam packed in police blackmarie van in their numbers without any recourse to ensuring that they maintain  social distance  as they are conveyed  to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department SCIID at Panti Yaba where they are processed for the Special Offences mobile courts.