COVID-19: Nigerian Government Suspends Airline Which Flew Naira Marley To Abuja For Concert

The Federal Government has suspended a charter and aircraft maintenance firm, Executive Jet Services, that conveyed musician, Naira Marley, and ex-BB Naija housemate, Kim Oprah, to Abuja for a music concert.

KanyiDaily had reported that Naira Marley held a crowded drive-through concert at the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja on Saturday night in contravention of the directive of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 as part of measures to curb the spread of the virus.

During the Presidential Task Force briefing on Monday, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika said the aircraft which conveyed the musician was supposed to fly an Appeal Court Judge, Justice Adefope Okogie, from Lagos to Abuja.

Siriki said the flight was indeed approved but for a different reason, adding that the captain would be sanctioned for providing false information and decieved the Nigerian Government.

“The operation is a clear violation of our approval which we take very seriously. It seems this is becoming a norm. This is the second time. So, Executive Jet Services is hereby suspended indefinitely and they will face the law.

“The captain will also be sanctioned for giving wrong information to the control tower. It seems also that people are not tired of trying our resolve and we are not tired of living up to our responsibilities. Governance is a serious matter, ” he said.

The minister said the government would henceforth be stricter in granting approvals for private flights. He said:

“The person on that flight conducted a concert. We approved a flight, certainly not for a musician. The flight was approved to convey Honourable Justice Adefope Okogie from Lagos to Abuja and then back to Lagos for an official assignment.

“In this challenging time, in our wisdom, we decided that the judiciary was part of the essential services. Moving a judge from Lagos to Abuja was in order.”

He said investigation was ongoing to know the pilot of the plane and those aviation officials who were around when the flight took off in Lagos and landed in Abuja.

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed Jabi Lake Mall “indefinitely” for hosting Naira Marley’s concert which violated the ban on social gathering placed by the government to minimize the spread of the coronavirus.