Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Magistrate Court on Tuesday re-opened the shut Jabi Lake Mall after 10 days of closure.
It also ordered the Mall to publish an unreserved apology to Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in some national dailies for hosting the Lagos-based controversial artiste, Naira Marley, in concert.
It would be recalled that the Mall was shut last week by an order of same court for organising the ‘Drive-in-Concert’, which attracted crowd to the premises, against the social distancing rules and the extant 8.p.m-6a.m curfew.
Three staff of the Mall, who were arraigned before the magistrate that sat as a Mobile Court at Jabi, were accused of organising a concert that violated the COVID-19 health safety guidelines and other protocols approved by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
Magistrate Idayat Akanni, who ordered that the Mall should immediately be re-opened, stated that she had perused the application filed by the defence counsel, Mr. Nnamdi Ekwem, praying the court to unseal the business premises.
Akanni noted that her judgment was based on the overall interest of those who would be affected adversely, should the mall remain closed.
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She also stated that the mall had over 100 employees and other tenants who were not co-offenders in the matter, and might have their fundamental human rights seriously infracted.
According to her, the order was also based on compassion, especially, in consideration of the economic losses that would be suffered by those affected, coupled with the impact of COVID-19 on the people.
However, Chairman of FCT Ministerial Task Force on COVID-19, Mr. Ikharo Attah, stated that FCTA had no objections to the rulings of the court, because the administration wanted to remain a model in obeying the rule of law.
Attah noted that FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Bello, had demonstrated a strong will to respect the laws, while striving for good governance, stressing that nobody could violate the laws and go unpunished in FCT.
He also added that the management of the mall was expected to comply with the order of the court on publishing an apology to government on national dailies, as soon as possible.
