The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja on Tuesday sentenced 10 people to 10 hours of community service each for hanging on coaches of the Mass Transit Train Service, the News Agency of Nigeria reports .
In her judgment, the magistrate, Mrs. I. O Omotosho, said the community service would be determined by the Lagos State Community Services Department.
The magistrate said she was lenient with the convicts because they had spent one week in custody since their arrest at Ikeja Train Station on October 3.
“I hope that this will serve as a deterrent to others,” she said.
The men faced a three-count charge of obstruction of justice, breach of peace and assaulting some policemen.
The prosecutor, Mr Tunde Sunmonu, had told the court that the convicts “rowdily hung on a train in motion and endangered their lives and those of others.
“When ASP Idris Muritala and Cpl. Azeez tried to arrest them, they assaulted them and injured the corporal,” he said.
Sunmonu said the offences contravened Section 27 of the Lagos State Environmental Law 2003 and 166 (2) and Section 171 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2011.
The men, aged between 18 and 52, pleaded guilty.
They are Shobanjo Lateef, Bamishile Noah, Taofeek Abdulazeez, Uchenna Ikeh, Jimoh Ahmed and Ganiyu Adeyemi.
Others are Aderemi Adeboye, Ladipo Abiodun, Ifeanyi Uzor, Oriade Oladipupo and Oladele Olafare.
Speaking with the NAN after the judgment, Mrs. Asetayo Asagba, the spokesperson for the state Task Force on Miscellaneous Offences, said that the Railway Police Command had enlisted the assistance of the task force to tackle the menace.
The Railway Police Command recently requested for the partnership of the Lagos Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit on the patrol and protection of the railway tracks.
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