By Alex Enumah
A Mobile Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting at the Eagle Square, Central Business District, on Friday slammed a fine of N200,000 on controversial Nigerian music star, Mr Azeez Fashola, also known as Naira Marley.
Magistrate Idayat Akanni handed down the fine after he was found guilty of all the four-count charges preferred against him by the FCT Administration.
The FCT Administration had arraigned the young Afro-pop star before the FCT Mobile Court for violating the ban on inter-states travel as well as being in a large gathering against the Covid-19 directives.
He was said to have committed the offences when he flew into Abuja from Lagos on board a chartered aircraft on June 13, 2020 for a non-essential duty.
He however pleaded guilty to all the four-count charges and was handed down the fine of N200,000.
The magistrate in addition ordered Naira Marley to publish a public apology in any national newspaper.
Naira Marley, a Lagos-based musician had during the lockdown period in June, flew in a chartered plane meant for a Lagos judge to attend an illegal concert in Abuja.
The concert, which held at the Jabi Lake Mall, elicited public outcries with many who attended breaking protocol at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Before Naira Marley’s arraignment and subsequent fine on Friday, the federal government through the Ministry of Aviation had in June suspended ExecuJet airline indefinitely for false information and for flying Naira Marley to Abuja for the illegal concert.
Similarly, the FCT Administration also ordered the closure of the Jabi mall for hosting the illegal concert.
