…11 defaulters to pay fine, perform community service
An FCT Mobile Court has sealed up Missouri Hotel, located in Maitama District of Abuja, for allegedly operating a nightclub within curfew hours in contravention of COVID-19 regulation.
In particular, the court presided over by Magistrate Idayat Akanni, which sat Monday at the Eagles Square, ordered that the hotel be sealed up for the period of one week.
The court also tried and sentenced eleven defaulters who are to engage in three-day community service, with payment of N5, 000.
Our correspondent gathered that six of the defaulters found guilty, are staff of the hotel. They were apprehended by the COVID-19 enforcement team for opening up their business within the curfew hours, which is from 10pm to 6am.
Other five persons were those found on the premises and arrested for partaking in the social gathering, which the court said constituted night club activities.
Speaking with newsmen, the prosecutor, Udeme Umanah, who is also Chief State Counsel to the FCT stated that: “Eleven defaulters arraigned before the mobile court were tried, found guilty and sentenced accordingly. They opened up their hotel and were engaged in night club activities in the area and were arrested.”
Chairman of FCT Ministerial TaskForce on COVID -19, Ikharo Attah, who led his team to enforce the seal up order, said they were arrested on Sunday and tried on Monday. Their arrests, he said, followed the receipt of complaints from the residents of the area.
Attah said gallant security personnel visited the hotel, and discovered that activities there were in contravention of COVID-19 guidelines.
“The hotel has been sealed up pending when the court decides otherwise, in the next one week. Until then, the place is to remain under lock and key.
“The action is to serve as a deterrent to others who run nightclubs, bars and restaurants, to ensure that they actually obey the rules. And if we found anybody like this, the place will actually be sealed up.
“Those who are running nightclubs and hotels should please desist from violating the COVID-19 guidelines. Only hotels are allowed to open for business, while their bars and nightclubs should not be opened, as anyone who contravenes the law would face the music.”
