A Magistrate Court sitting in Abuja Nigeria’s capital, has ordered the immediate unsealing of three populous and popular Markets and Mull Plaza after been sealed off two days ago by the FCT Taskforce on COVID -19 for violating the safety guidelines of the pandemic.
The markets were Wuse Market, UTC Market at Area 10 and mull Plaza also at Area 10 located at the Central Area office the FCT.
While delivering the judgement in Abuja, Magistrate Idayat Akanni who ordered that the immediate unsealing of the markets and mull plaza, said her judgement was based on the overall interest of those who will affected adversely, should the markets and Mull remain closed.
She them fined each of the culprits fifty thousand Naira each for violating the safety protocols of the COVID -19.
Speaking on the development, Head, Publicity and Enlightenment of the FCT Ministerial Committee on Enforcement of COVID-19 Guidelines, Mr Ikharo Attah,
hinted that, the Taskforce will not hesitate to re-sealed the markets and plazas if they are caught flaunting the COVID-19 Disease Health Protection Regulation 2021 as accented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He added that, the administration will not condone any act that will lead to the further spread of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic in the territory.
According to him, ” the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma who is also the Chairman of the FCT Ministerial Committee on Enforcement of COVID-19 Guidelines buttressed what the Minister said on resealing of markets and plazas that flaunts COVID-19 Disease Health Protection Regulation 2021.
Almost two days of closure of the most populous and popular Wuse , UTC market and the Murg Plaza, the mobile Court has ruled that the markets be reopened having fulfilled all the requirements with a strong warning that they should comply and sustain the health protocols put in place.
“Today Magistrate Idayat Akani sat and having observe what was reported back by the prosecuting counsel that inspected the market and the undertaken written by the managers of this markets that they will hence forth comply with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) guidelines on COVID-19 health protocols.
“The Judge in her wisdom unsealed the markets and the plaza and fined them fifty thousand Naira each which they hurriedly paid and after the briefing we will be going down to unseal the markets and the plaza.
“I believe this will serve as a detriment to other markets, both buyers and sellers must ensure they observe all necessary health protocols to stem the spread of the pandemic.
” For what we saw during our inspection of the markets , we noticed that they were largely prepared for the compliance. But what we tell them, going forward,is the need to sustained the compliance level and the presidential that the president accented to“, he added.
Mr Attah however, urged them to comply with the COVID-19 health guidelines accented to by President Muhammadu Buhari so that lives could be be saved during this period of COVID-19 pandemic .
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