The Lagos State Government, musician, Azeez Fashola, alias Naira Marley, and a politician, Babatunde Gbadamosi, have agreed to settle out of court.
Naira Marley, Gbadamosi and his wife were charged before the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Ogba for attending a crowded birthday party in violation of the government’s social distancing directive to check the spread of coronavirus.
But during their arraignment on Wednesday, the government, according to one of the defence counsel, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), withdrew the four counts filed against the three defendants.
Adegboruwa said the state withdrew the charges on the condition that the defendants would tender an apology to Pres. Buhari and Governor SanwoOlu.
The conditions for which their charge was dropped include:
1) They have to write a formal apology to the Government of Lagos State which will solidify the remorsefulness shown by them.
(2) They have to give an undertaking in writing that they will continue to comply with the directives of Mr President and Mr Governor which is the subject matter of the case before the court.
(3) In view of the danger which the state believes they’ve put themselves by attending a gathering exceeding 20 persons, they must agree to go on 14 days isolation to protect other members of the public from any likely danger..
.The defendants through their counsel all agreed to the conditions and the court has adjourned till tomorrow for the prosecutor to brief the court on whether all the conditions have been met failing which they will be arraigned
