Lockdown violation: Lagos govt drops charges against Naira Marley, Gbadamosi

The Lagos State government yesterday agreed to an out-of-court settlement with controversial musician, Azeez Fashola, alias Naira Marley, and a former governorship candidate in Lagos State, Babatunde Gbadamosi and his wife, Folasade. The state government agreed to drop the four-count charge it had filed against the defendants before a Lagos State magistrate court sitting in […]

The Lagos State government yesterday agreed to an out-of-court settlement with controversial musician, Azeez Fashola, alias Naira Marley, and a former governorship candidate in Lagos State, Babatunde Gbadamosi and his wife, Folasade.

The state government agreed to drop the four-count charge it had filed against the defendants before a Lagos State magistrate court sitting in Ogba on the fulfilment of three conditions.

The Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Yakub Oshoala, informed the court that the defendants must write a formal letter of apology to the federal and state governments, which would solidify the remorsefulness shown by them.

Oshoala maintained that the defendants must also give an undertaking in writing that they would continue to comply with the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, which was the subject matter of the case before the court.

He said that in view of the danger which the state believed the defendants had constituted by attending a gathering exceeding 20 persons, they must agree to go on a 14-day isolation to protect other members of the public from any likely danger.

The DPP further told the court that the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyo Onigbanjo, had foreworded a directive to him that having considered the remorsefulness of the three defendants, Onigbanjo considered an out-of-court settlement based on the defendants fulfilling the three conditions.

He said, “This is absolutely necessary in view of the fact that some individuals who travelled from endangered countries were present at the party.

“The state is not a persecutor but it is always ready to enforce the laws that benefit the interest of the public. If they agree to these conditions, the four-count charge will be withdrawn.”

Oshoala led the prosecution, while Olawale Akoni and Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa led the defence team.

All the defendants accepted the conditions and thereafter the DPP applied to withdraw the charges and requested that the conditions be furnished through the officer-in-charge of the Legal Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba.

The court said it was better to allow the defendants enough time to comply with the conditions and, therefore, gave them 24 hours to comply with the conditions.

The case was consequently adjourned till April 9, 2020 for withdrawal or plea, as the case may be.