By Monsuru Olowoopejo
A Lagos Magistrate Court has pardoned Nigerian Hip-hop artiste, Azeez Fashola, a.k.a Naira Marley and a former gubernatorial candidate, Babatunde Gbadamosi, for contravening the lockdown order imposed on the state to flatten coronavirus curve.
Both Naira Marley and Gbadamosi were arraigned on Wednesday before a Magistrate court in the state after attending the birthday party organised by Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele-Bello popularly called Jenifa for her husband, Abdulrashhed Bello who is known professionally as JJC.
To the State Government, the birthday party attended by Naira Marley and Gbadamosi was in sharp variance with the State Infectious Disease Regulation law 2020 which was signed into law last month by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to prevent Lagosians from been infected by the virus.
Naira Marley, on arrival at the Samuel Ilori Magistrate court in Ogba premises, was welcomed by hundreds of their admirers and fans including Naira Marley’s ardent fan, Abu Abel, was present to show solidarity.
And for Gbadamosi, in order to ensure he gets a fair hearing, he was accompanied by a renowned legal practitioner, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, who had constantly criticized the lockdown order imposed on Lagos State by President Muhammadu Buhari as a strategy to curtail coronavirus spread.
The court pardoned the defendants on condition that they will write a letter to Federal and State Government tendering their apology over their conduct and assure the governments that they will not participate in the conduct of such activities in the country.
According to the magistrate, the pardon was also granted after both defendants assured the court that they will be a law-abiding citizen of the country going forward.
Naira Marley and Gbadamosi are expected back in the court tomorrow with proof that they have done it and after that, the case will cease to exist.
