Coronavirus: Lagos joggers sentenced to 14 days of quarantine

34 persons have been sentenced to one month of community service and 14 days of quarantine for violating the social distancing directives of the Lagos State government.

The Lagos and federal governments declared a 14-day stay-at-home order for residents in March, in order to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak in Africa’s most populous nation.

The federal capital city of Abuja and the southwestern state of Ogun were also thrown into the lockdown mix.

However, some Lagosians have been disobeying the directive and have been photographed hitting streets for exercises and workouts.

Similar images have also emerged from Abuja, 8 days into the lockdown regime.

A Yaba Magistrates’ Court convicted the defendants after they plead guilty to a one-count charge of working out in a group larger than 20 persons on the Gbagada-Oworonsoki Expressway.

The court ruled that the violators should be quarantined for 14 days at the Infectious Diseases Hospital Yaba, or any other place designated by the government.

Three others pleaded not guilty.

A motley crowd of fitness enthusiasts have also been photographed on the busy Ikorodu expressway.

The Lagos lockdown directive has been observed in the breach in inner city streets in the suburbs, where locals can be seen mingling about in close proximity, while flouting the social distancing directive.

Security forces stepped up enforcement of the lockdown, Wednesday.

Lagos is the epicenter of Nigeria’s coronavirus battle. A total of 254 coronavirus cases have been recorded in 16 states and the FCT in Nigeria, with Lagos recording the highest with 130, at the time of filing this report.

Lagos has also discharged a total of 32 patients who have recovered from the disease. Nigeria's total number of discharged patients, as of April 7, stands at 44.