Organisers Of Naira Marley’s Concert Say Online Videos Were Taken Out Of Context
Earlier today, news emerged that Naira Marley held a concert at Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja last night.
The event that was slated to be a drive-through concert became a regular pre-corona concert after fans came out of their cars to watch the artiste perform.
He has been the object of public outrage since the videos emerged but the organisers say the videos from Naira Marley’s concert have been taken out of context.
Play Network Africa, organisers of the event, released a statement explaining what really happened at the venue. ‘As the organisers of this concert, we will like to share on behalf of all stakeholders and for the comfort of concerned citizens, the true events are not accurately represented by the videos making rounds,’ they said.
According to the statement, the event was a drive-through concert with all attendees parking 1.5 meters away from each other and turning into performances via car radio. They said that all guidelines were adhered to until non-paying customers of Jabi Lake Mall crashed their event. Naira Marley was immediately asked to stop performing and security personnel escorted the concert-crashers from the venue and attendees back to their cars.
They added that the concert only resumed after things had been returned to status-quo and that it ended at about 9:15 pm ‘just in time for attendees to get home before the 10 pm imposed curfew’.
The Organisers say. ‘We assure the public that every claim in this press release can be corroborated.’
But, a quick call to a legal practitioner revealed that the organisers, Naira Marley, ex-BBNaija housemate, Kim Oprah; and attendees could still be arrested and prosecuted for flouting lockdown orders.
‘If they want to be made an example of, they can actually be arrested and persecuted’, said Barrister Omolade Opanuga.
However, the FCT Police PRO, DSP Anjuguri Manzah say they have no information about the concert. He told Netng, ‘Sorry, I’m not aware of what you’re saying please.’
This is Naira Marley’s second lockdown infringement after he was arrested on April 6, 2020, for violating the lockdown rules. He was released after tendering a written apology to the Lagos State Government and an undertaking that he would henceforth comply with the government’s stay-at-home and social distancing directives.