Lockdown: Lagos withdraws charges Against former Gubernatorial Aspirant Gbadamosi, Musician Naira Marley…

WAHAB AKINLADE

The Lagos State Government has withdrawn charges against politician, Babatunde Gbadamosi and musician, Azeez Fashola, alias Naira Marley.

Naira Marley, Gbadamosi and his wife were charged before the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Ogba for attending a crowded birthday party in violation of the government’s social distancing directive to check the spread of coronavirus.

They were scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday, but the government, according to one of the defence counsel, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), withdrew the four counts filed against the three defendants.

Our Correspondent Wahab Akinlade reports that policemen barred journalists from the court premises.

At the end of the proceedings, Adegboruwa briefed journalists on what transpired in the courtroom.

He said the state withdrew the charges on the condition that the defendants would tender an apology to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Meanwhile the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says it received the news of withdrawal of charges against Babtunde Gbadamosi with appreciation.

In a statement made available to newsmen, the State Chairman, Adedeji Doherty described the sudden turn around by the state as a victory for all well wishers across all divides.

The party however admonishes Governor Babajide Sanwoolu to similarly look back and correct a lot of other wrongs that have curtailed the residents Rights & privileges, in order to show his administration as belonging to all and not selected.

Engineer Adedeji Doherty had opined that the state may get embarrassed if it went on the trial simply because the circumstances of Gbadamosi attending the home of the celebrant cannot be convincing enough to convict him, that exercise would have exposed the said law is very weak to enforce in such circumstance.