Two Popular Pastors charged to Court for holding service amidst Lockdown

Two clergymen have been arraigned before a Chief Magistrates Court for holding church service last Sunday despite the lockdown imposed as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Kaduna State Government said that that one Ifeanyi Ojonu and Ginika Okafor at Sabon Tasha were arrested by security agents at the church premises in Chikun Local government area of the state.

A statement issued by the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, on Tuesday said.

According to the commissioner, the suspects were arraigned on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant, under Sections 59 and 115 of the Penal Code.
“Nobody is above the law and everyone is equal in the eyes of the law, the Quarantine Law will be applied without fear or favour until the lockdown is duly lifted,” Aruwan said.

He recalled that some Muslim clerics who held congregational prayers on March 27, at Unguwar Kanawa and Malali areas of Kaduna North Local Government were earlier arrested.

“They were promptly arrested and subsequently arraigned before a Chief Magistrates Court on March 30, 2020, to demonstrate government’s determination to prosecute violators of the Quarantine Law,” he said.
Recall that a new case of COVID-19 was recorded in the state last Sunday, a development that brought the number of confirmed cases in the state to 5.

In a statement issued by the commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Mohammed Balo, ‘’so far, the state has sent 89 samples to Abuja for testing, among which five samples were positive while 77 samples were negative, and eight samples are pending.”