Mobile Court seals hotel, nightclub in Maitama, Wuse

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mobile Court on Wednesday sealed up New Yorker Night Club and Lounge, located in Maitama District of Abuja, for allegedly operating within prohibited and curfew hours in contravention of the COVID-19 regulation, 2020.

The court sitting at the Eagles Square presided over by Magistrate Idayat Akanni, which also ordered for seal up of Agape Nightclub and lounge, Wuse II, said the seal up for the period of one week.

The court, which also summarily tried and convicted four defaulters namely: Wassim Soofau and Fawaz Ali, who are Lebanese and operators of New Yorker NightClub and Adeniran Matthew and Julius Inanemoh, staff of Agape Nightclub respectively .

While the two Lebanese feigned ignorance of the prohibition on operations of social activities outside working hours, those of the Agabe nightclub ) pleaded not guilty to the allegations against them.

However, the Magistrate, found them guilty and sentenced them to payment of fine in the tune N10,000 each, for conducting business and engaging in social gathering within the premises of the nightclubs, during prohibited period.

According to the judge, both the sentences and seal up orders are to serve as deterrence to others in the society.

The Nation learnt the defaulters found guilty, were apprehended by the FCT COVID-19 enforcement team for opening up their business and engaging in social activities within the curfew hours, which is from 10pm to 6am within the FCT.

Chairman of FCT Ministerial Taskforce on COVID -19, Comrade Ikharo Attah, who led his team to enforce the seal up order, said the arrests were made on Tuesday night, during a routine monitoring in the areas.

He said that security personnel stormed the hotel and discovered that activities there were in contravention of COVID-19 guidelines, thereby leading to arrests of four persons including two Lebanese.