COVID-19 Violation: Abuja Mobile Court Fines Naira Marley N200,000
Music star, Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, has been fined N200,000 by an Abuja mobile court for violating COVID-19 protocols.
The FCT Administration filed a four-count charge against him for hosting a concert in Abuja, in clear violation of COVID-19 directives.
The Chief Magistrate, Idayat Akanni, who presided over the court session on Friday handed down the fine to the Lagos-based musician after he pleaded guilty to the charges filed against him.
He is also expected to publish a public apology in any national newspaper
The concert at the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja elicited public outcry with many who attended breaking protocols at the peak of the pandemic.
Naira Marley is said to have flown in a chartered plane meant for a Lagos judge to the Federal Capital Territory for the concert which was held on June 13.
The Federal Government later shut the Jabi Lake Mall indefinitely for violating the ban on public gathering.
The mall was closed by the Federal Capital Territory Ministerial Task Team on COVID-19.
The team on its Twitter handle said the closure is part of precautionary measures taken to curb the spread of the virus in the nation’s capital.
“The FCT Ministerial Task Team on #COVID19 seals up Jabi Lake Mall indefinitely for violating Presidential Task Force’s directives on the ban on public gatherings as part of measures to contain the spread of the dreaded pandemic in the territory,” FCTA said.
Channels Television learnt that the decision to close the mall for 2 weeks followed an order of a mobile court presided by Chief Magistrate Idayat Akanni.
Following the closure of the Jabi Lake Mall, the Federal Government suspended the airline.
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed this at a briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
He said the operations of the private jet charter and aircraft maintenance firm, will be suspended for flouting the COVID-19 regulations by flying the musician to attend the concert.
