THE Federal Capital Territory Ministerial Enforcement Task Force on COVID-19 Restrictions has sealed off Jabi Lake Mall for two weeks for violating the government’s ban on public gathering.
“Jabi Lake Mall has been sealed for two weeks after a court order,” Ikharo Attah, Chairman FCT Ministerial Enforcement Task Force on COVID-19 Restrictions told The ICIR in an interview on Sunday.
This is coming after controversial Nigerian singer, Naira Marley, on Saturday, performed at a concert in Abuja despite the interstate travel ban and social distancing rules aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.
Attah said the musician violated the interstate travel ban, noting that the FCT Administration expected that the Lagos State Government would prosecute him accordingly.
Naira Marley violated the law and we expect our Lagos brothers to do the right thing, because he flew in, hoping that they would pick him up and follow up with that,” he said.
Earlier while addressing journalists, after sealing off Jabi Lake Mall, Attah lamented that despite many warnings from the Presidential Task Force and the FCT Administration on guidelines to operate, the management of the Jabi Lake mall chose to encourage and permitted a concerts by Naira Marley and was also conducting business activities to exceeding the normal hours allowed by the authorities.
He said the seal off order was given by a mobile court headed by Magistrate Idayat Akanni who sat in the Mall’s premises in Jabi.
Attah Ikharo said that the seal up order was necessitated by the the unlawful and embarrassing event at the mall Friday night.
When asked if the FCT administration plans to declare Marley wanted, Attah noted: “He flew in to Abuja Friday from Lagos and returned back same day to the nations formal Capital City. we are convinced that the Lagos State government who had in recent past had unpleasant experience with the artist will do the needful since he also breached the inter state travel ban which applies to Lagos state.”
Naira Marley flew into the nation’s capital via a private jet. Instablognaija shared a video of him stepping out of the aircraft with members of his crew.
https://twitter.com/instablog9ja/status/1272065899772641281?s=19
The ICIR gather that the concert was meant to be an exclusive Mercedes Benz drive in party where those who are in attendance would be in the car but it turned out to be a full blown concert where social distancing rule was violated.
Abeeb Alawiye formerly works with The ICIR as a Reporter/Social Media officer. Now work as a Senior Journalist with BBC News Yoruba. You can shoot him an email via [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @habsonfloww