Court slaps Naira Marley with N200,000 fine for flouting COVID-19 directive

‘Soapy’ crooner, Azeez Fashola, popularly known in music circles as Naira Marley has been slapped with a N200,000 fine by an Abuja mobile court on Friday for violating the COVID-19 protocols.

During court proceedings staged at the Eagle Square, Abuja, Naira Marley pleaded guilty for violating COVID-19 guidelines and the presiding Magistrate Idayat Akanni subsequently ordered him to pay the N200,000 fine.

Naira Marley was also ordered by the magistrate to publish a public apology in a national newspaper.

The court ruling comes barely 24 hours after a Lagos court ordered the musician and his manager to pay N100, 000 for flouting interstate travel ban when he flew to Abuja to take part in a concert despite the ban on gatherings and events of more than 20 persons in line with COVID-19 protocols.

READ ALSO: Suspended airline tags Naira Marley ‘useless bunch of people’, says it thought it was Babatunde Fashola

The musician was arrested on Thursday, August 6, 2020, and arraigned before the Lagos State Special Offences Court at Ikeja for violating the order banning interstate travels which had earlier been put in place to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

Recall that the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja where the concert was staged was also shut down by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for staging the concert headlined by the controversial musician, and ex-BBNaija housemate KimOprah.

Three others identified as Lukas Omotosho, Franklin Ogene and Maya Ekah were also arraigned following a court order signed by Magistrate Idayat Akanni dated June 14, 2020, for hosting the concert in violation of the social restrictions imposed by the government to curb the spread of COVID-19.

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