By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Nigerians are demanding the arrest and prosecution of singer, Naira Marley, and President Muhammadu Buhari’s personal assistant, Sabiu Daura, also known as Tunde, for flouting the COVID-19 interstate travel restriction.
Naira Marley held a concert in Abuja which hundreds of party lovers attended.
The artist who was arrested by the Lagos State Police command on April 5 for violating the state’s lockdown directive, traveled this time to Abuja where he performed at a night party that attracted large gathering.
Nigerians, who reacted to Naira Marley’s action, said he flouted two directives of the presidential taskforce on COVID-19. One, he traveled from Lagos to Abuja, and two, participated in a gathering where social distancing was impossible to maintain.
Presidential personal secretary, Sabiu, had travelled from Abuja to Lagos and back again to Abuja, even when travel restriction is rigidly being enforced.
Sabiu’s action almost resulted to a tragedy when upon his arrival to Abuja, the first lady, Aisha Buhari, ordered that he self-isolate for 14 days in order to limit the exposure of the Villa from the pandemic. He refused, leading to firing of gunshots at the seat of power.
The first Lady’s security aides are currently being held by the Police, while no action is reportedly being taken against Sabiu.
Former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode said: “I have heard the details of what actually transpired at the Villa a couple of nights ago, and I am utterly appalled. How can a PA order his men to fire shots in the air in an attempt to intimidate and threaten Aisha Buhari? This is unacceptable. The First Lady deserves to be respected and protected from this ruthless cabal of primitive misogynists before something terrible happens. You can’t shoot guns to threaten someone’s wife and still claim to love him,” he said.
Dr Dipo Awojide wades in also: “Why should Naira Marley (who seems to like so much walaha) be arrested again when we watched on TV how several government officials who work with the president flout the lockdown rules and nothing happened to them?
“The Aisha Buhari issue is also about a PA flying around. If a PA to the President can get a landing permit from Abuja to Lagos and back to Abuja during a lockdown due to coronavirus, why are we criticising folks who travel to go visit their families via road,” he said.
For Dr Joe Abah, the people to be arrested are many. “1. Somebody approved the Naira Marley concert 2. Somebody approved the non-essential flight to Abuja. 3. Somebody approved a bottle of hard liquor per ticket. 4. Somebody didn’t stop the concert when it lost control. 6. Somebody should be sacked this morning…if somebody is serious,” he tweeted.