The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Ministerial Task Team on COVID-19 has sealed the premises of the Jabi Lake Mall, over violation of the Presidential ban on social gatherings, to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.
Bashir Ahmad, the Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on New Media, announced this via his Twitter handle on Sunday.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has closed down Jabi Lake Mall indefinitely for violating the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 directive, the ban on public gatherings, the FCT Task Force on COVID-19 has said in a statement.
— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) June 14, 2020
The task team secured a judgement to this effect from a mobile court headed by Magistrate Idayat Akonni, who sat in the mall premises in Jabi.
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According to the leader of the Task Team, Mr Ikharo Attah, the closure of the premises had become necessary due to repeated violations of the FCTA guidelines and safety measures on COVID-19.
The most recent of this flagrant disregard for the safety guidelines was seen when the management of the mall granted permit to and hosted a concert by Naira Marley on June 12, 2020, despite several warnings by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
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The concert not only violated the rules of social distancing and use of face masks in public, it also breached the 10 pm to 4 am curfew declared by the Federal Government.
Attah added that the mall management had also continued to exceed hours of business operations permitted by the authorities.
In line with the judgement from the magistrate, the mall will be sealed for a period of two weeks over the three-count charge, which includes default of the COVID-19 protocols.
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Attah stressed that the task team could not overlook the unlawful and embarrassing event at the mall on June 12, as a stern warning had to be sent to defaulters.
Jabi Lake Mall is a one-stop retail and leisure destination, with a waterside location, Shoprite, Silverbird Cinema, and several food and beverage outlets.