Pascal Oparada
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed Jabi Mall, the venue of the concert following the growing calls for the arrest and prosecution of Nigerian musician, Azeez Fashola popularly called Naira Marley for holding a concert in Abuja despite coronavirus restrictions.
“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.
According to Attah, the musician violated the interstate travel ban, saying that the FCT Administration expected that the Lagos State Government would prosecute him accordingly.
There have been calls on social media to prosecute all those involved in the holding the concert which violated both the interstate travel restriction and social distancing restrictions of the federal government.
Naira Marley was arrested in April this year for attending a birthday party organised by actress, Funke Akindele, also known as Jeniffer for violating the social distancing directive of Lagos State.
Several people have called for the punishment of all those involved in the concert as it went against Nigeria’s COVID-19 directive.
Joe Abbah said those who approved the concert should be punished for not ensuring that social distancing was observed.
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COVID-19: FCTA seals Jabi Lake Mall for two weeks over Naira Marley’s concert
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By Abeeb ALAWIYE On Jun 14, 2020
THE Federal Capital Territory Ministerial Enforcement Task Force on COVID-19 Restrictions has sealed Jabi Lake Mall indefinitely for violating the government’s on 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 into Abuja Friday from Lagos and returned back the same day to the nations formal Capital City. we are convinced that the Lagos State government who had in recent past had an unpleasant experience with the artist will do the needful since he also breached the interstate travel ban which applies to Lagos state.”
