Nine hawkers who are minors were yesterday ordered to be flogged seven strokes of the cane while 21 others were sentenced to one month imprisonment by an Abuja mobile court for hawking in Abuja.
The minor hawkers are I.K Ochine, Salisu Ibrahim, Madu Mpam, Tunde Famakinde, Ibrahim Muhammed, Sahadu Adamu, Francis Isha, Suleiman Usman and Aminu Yakubu.
Those sentenced are Ubaka Okeke, Sanusi Mustapha, Awalu Yahaya, Hannatu Galadima, Abdul Usman, Abuchi Igwe, Nelson Madela, Umar Mahammudu, Chioma Ugwu, Isah Umar, Rabiu Muhammed Fatima Abubakar. Joy Joseph, Suleman Ibrahim, Adebayo Sade, Mustapha Ahmed, Murtala Sani Suleman Usman, Daudu Abdullahi, Nuhu Muhammed and Sahabiu Saidu
The prosecutor, Barrister Eze E. Eze, had earlier told the court that the accused persons were arrested by the task force of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) while hawking at road junctions and unauthorized places within the FCT, an offence punishable under Section 35 (1) of the AEPB Act No 10 of 1997.
The accused persons pleaded guilty when the charge was read to them and begged for leniency, promising not to do it again.
The prosecutor urged the court to try the accused persons summarily under Section 157 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Magistrate Aminu Abdullahi sentenced each of the 21 hawkers to one month's imprisonment with an option of N3,000 fine and ordered that the minors be given seven strokes of cane.
The magistrate also ordered that the items seized from those sentenced should be released to them while those of the minors should not be released until they brought their parents.
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