Gbenro Adesina
Members of the Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency (EKSTMA), have arrested over 100 motorists in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital of Ekiti State for allegedly violating COVID-19 guidelines.
The arrested individuals were accused of not wearing face masks as ordered by the government, thereby spreading the deadly virus.
However, it was observed that members of the Agency, who arrested the suspects also violated the guidelines by not wearing face masks as well as breaking the regulations of social distancing during the arrest.
According to the Agency General Manager, Chief Femi Olanrewaju, who led the operation that led to the arrest, over 100 offenders were arrested in the first day of the enforcement.
Olanrewaju, however, revealed that the arrested offenders have been pardoned saying, “We are only trying to checkmate a lot of people against living reckless lives and to secure their health. What we did on Monday was a warning operation, and that was why we pardoned the violators. It was like a warning or amnesty, which we granted them after delaying the offenders for about six hours”.
“But from Tuesday (July 21, 2020), every offender arrested will be tried properly at the Special Offences Court and proper punitive actions will be meted to the flouters. The government is not ready to compromise the well-being of the people regarding COVID-19”, he concluded.
