An Ogba Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday sentenced Nollywood superstar, Funke Akindele a.k.a Jenifa, and her husband, Abdul Rasheed Bello a.k.a JJC Skillz, to a 14-day community service for violating the Lagos State’s lockdown order by having a house party last Saturday.
During the community service from 9.00 a.m. to 12 noon daily, the couple would sensitise the public on the pandemic COVID-19 in ten major areas of the state.
The sentence was handed down by Chief Magistrate Yewande Aje-Afunwa who convicted the couple on a one-count charge brought against them by the Lagos State Government.
Aje-Afunwa also imposed a fine of N100,000 each on them and ordered that they should be placed in self-isolation, while names and phone numbers of everyone who attended the party would be submitted to the court.
When arraigned on Monday, the charge numbered MIK/A/43/2020 was signed by the Director, Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) Yaquib Oshoala and read: “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 PreventionMegu/atian 2020 and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 58 Public Health Law Cap P16 Vol.9 Laws of Lagos State, 2015.”
Funke and her husband pleaded guilty.
The Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyo Onigbanjo (SAN), who was the prosecutor, prayed the court to sentence the defendants as charged to serve as deterrence to others.
But the defence counsel, Abayomi Alagbada, pleaded for leniency on the first time offenders who ‘are respectable members of the society and have two young children to cater for’.