Judgement has been passed on the trial of Funke Akindele and her husband, JJC Skillz.
The due were arraigned for violating a lockdown order by the Lagos State government, aimed at reducing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Saturday, April 4, the thespian hosted a house party at her Amen Estate, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos home to celebrate her husband’s birthday, leading to her arrest by the Lagos State Police Command.
Arraigned at the Chief Magistrate Court, Ogba by the Lagos State Government, the duo represented by their counsel, Abayomi Alagbada pleaded guilty to the offence.
Defending his case, the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyo Onigbanjo (SAN), who was the prosecutor, told the court that Akindele and her husband Bello, flouted the directive of the Lagos Governor when they gathered more than 20 people at their Lekki home.
The charge dated April 6, 2020 number MIK/A/43/2020 was signed by the Director, Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) Yaquib Oshoala.
It stated: “That you (1) Funke Akindele (2) Abdul Rasheed Bello on the 4th day of April, 2020 at 9, Gbadamosi Close, Amen Estate, Ibeju Lekki in the Lagos Magisterial District gathered at the aforementioned address with over twenty persons contrary to the social distancing directives of Mr Governor of Lagos State made pursuant to Regulation 8(1)(a) & (b) and 17(1)“) of the Lagos State Infectious Disease(Emergency Prevention Megu/atian 2020 and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 58 Public Health Law Cap P16 Vol.9 Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The law provided that “Where there is a violation of a close-down or stay at home order, security Agencies shall have the power to arrest without warrant and may detain any person who violates the close-down or stay at home order for at least 48 hours.
“Where the arrested person is found guilty, the person is liable to a fine of N100,000.00 or one-month imprisonment or three months Community service.”
Following their guilty plea, Onigbanjo urged the court to sentence the defendants as charged to serve as deterrence to others.
But defense counsel, Alagbada, in his allocutions, pleaded for leniency on behalf of Funke and her husband and urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
“I plead for leniency on the following grounds. Both of them are first time offenders. They are respectable members of the society and have two young children to cater to,” he pleaded.
After taking their plea, Magistrate Yewande Aje-Afunwa stood the matter down for over one hour 30 minutes and went into her Chamber to consider facts of the case and sentencing.
Chief Magistrate Aje-Afunwa, in her judgment, convicted the couple of a one-count charge brought against them by the Lagos State Government.
She sentenced the duo to 14- day community service each to start from 9.00 a.m. to 12 noon daily during which they are to sensitize the public on the pandemic COVID-19 in ten major areas of the state
Present at the trial were notable individuals such Naira Marley; Rasheed Gbadamosi, a former Lagos state governorship aspirant among others.
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