Exclusive: Naira Marley Spends 7 Hours with Police in Lagos, Set for Second Trial in Abuja

Matilda Omonaiye/

After he was made to pay N100, 000 Fine at a Lagos State Magistrate Court for violating the interstate travel order when he recently flew from Lagos to Abuja, trouble is far from over for Nigerian pop star, Azeez Fashola popularly called Naira Marley, as he was held for almost 8 hours today by the police in Lagos.

NewsmakersNG exclusively learnt that Marley who arrived at the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Panti at about 11am on invitation today, was held at the station till 7:35 pm when officers in a convoy took him to his house where they would stay overnight before flying him to Abuja tomorrow for a second trial on the same offence.

Some fans however see the plight of the pop star as a selective judgment, citing instances of some notable political figures who committed same offence and were never arrested or tried.

Marley who was slammed with a 2-count charge for contravention of the law in Lagos pleaded guilty at the Court and was asked to pay a fine of N100, 000.

Marley left Lagos for the Federal Capital Territory for a drive-by concert on Saturday, July 13, 2020, and he was later arrested by the Police in Lagos for flouting interstate travel ban when he flew to Abuja via a private jet.

The music star was today arraigned for violating the order banning interstate travels which had been earlier put in place to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Controversy trailed the rapper’s drive-by concert in Abuja in June which landed the popular Jabi Lake mall that hosted the event and Executive Jets Services, the airline which lifted him from Lagos in trouble.

Jabi Lake mall was sealed for two weeks by Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Ministerial Task Team on COVID-19 for hosting the drive-by concert while Executive Jets Services had their license temporarily withdrawn.

Marley’s handlers told NewsmakersNG that he is being made to pay for his prosecutors’ flight and other expenses to Abuja.

Lagos State police spokesman, SP Bala Elkana gave an update on the role of the Lagos State Police Command in the trial in a statement thus: “On 06/08/2020 at about 1530hrs, operatives of Lagos State Police Command, from the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba arraigned Nigerian singer and songwriter Azeez Adeshina Fashola, known professionally as Naira Marley, in Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile) Court, Oshodi for violating the cessation of movement and interstates travel order in Lagos.

“It could be recalled that on 13/06/2020 at about 1400hrs, the suspect in total violation of the lockdown order, embarked on non-essential travel from Lagos to Abuja and back to Lagos the same date, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja for a musical concert in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“He is arraigned alongside his Manager Seyi Awouga ‘f’ on one count charge of breach of the cessation of movement and interstates travel order made by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under Regulation 4(i) of the Lagos State Infectious Disease Emergency Prevention) Regulation No 2 of 2020 and committed an offence punishable under Section 58 Public Health Law, Ch. P16, Laws of Lagos State 2015

“The two accused persons pleaded guilty to the charge and were awarded a fine of one hundred thousand naira each by the presiding Magistrate.

0