Abuja Court Convicts, Fines Naira Marley N200,000 Over COVID-19 Violation

An Abuja mobile court has convicted and fined Azeez Fashola, a singer better known as Naira Marley, N200,000 for flouting the COVID-19 guidelines.

The ‘Mafo’ crooner was charged with four counts of violating interstate travel ban, not using facemask, breaking the social distancing order and attending a concert breaching the COVID-19 restriction order on physical gathering.

On Friday, Idayat Akanni, the magistrate, set the fine at N200,000 after the musician pleaded guilty to the charges against him.

Earlier at the court, Mohammed Yunusa, counsel to the singer, said that his client was made to believe that the organisers of the concert had gotten approval from the federal government.

Udeme Umana, the chief state counsel, said Naira Marley’s conviction and the fine would serve as a deterrent to others.

Umana added that “the court also mandated him to publish a public apology to the federal government in a national daily of choice.”

This comes barely a day after he was also arraigned before the Lagos state special offences court at Oshodi over the same incident and was fined N1,000 after pleading guilty.

The ‘Mafo’ singer had on June 13, left Lagos for Abuja to perform at a concert at the Jabi Lake mall despite the existence of an interstate ban then.

The development was greeted with public outrage, prompting the FCT minister to shut down the mall while the federal government also suspended operations of the airline used by the singer.