COVID-19: FCTA seals hotel for violating restriction order

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Ministerial Task Team on Enforcement of COVID-19 Restriction on Tuesday sealed-off Pacific Hotel and Guest Inn for violating the Presidential ban on hotels operation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Task team sealed the hotel situated at Boundary Road, Nyanya, Abuja following a court order granted by an FCT Magistrates’ Court sitting at the Eagle Square.

The guest inn was sealed off for breaching the presidential order of lockdown.

Chairman of the task team, Ikharo Attah, said several people who were eating and drinking were arrested before the guest Inn was sealed.

“Last weekend we got a report that a wide and an elaborate party was held at the Pacific Hotel and Guest Inn, Nyanya.

“We sent security operatives the next day to go there and check and when the team went there to check, they saw large crowd of people in their bar eating and drinking.

“Some of them were arrested while others ran away. Those arrested were taken to mobile court and the mobile court judge fined them N5, 000 and engaged them in community service.

“We asked the manager why he disobeyed the lockdown order. He said it is beyond him, that it is the owner of the hotel that gave order that the hotel must remain open and parties and other activities should be allowed to go on.

“So we prayed the Judge to grant us an order to seal up the hotel which the Judge graciously granted and we have sealed the hotel today,” he said.

Attah said the hotel would remain closed until the chairman and management of the hotel appeared before the Judge.

“Until the Judge vacate the order, that the hotel will remain closed, ” he said.

He also disclosed that 50 persons were arrested and turned back to Zamfara for violating the COVID-19 restitution order.(NAN)