This archive report was first published on 16 June 2020.
On June 13, 2020, Nigerian singer and songwriter Naira Marley, whose real name is Babatunde Azeez Fashola, performed at the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja, sparking a surge in Covid-19 infections due to the apparent disregard for prevention protocols.
However, the real controversy began when it was revealed that Marley had flown to Abuja on a private jet, despite interstate travel being prohibited at the time, except for goods and essential travel.
Executive Jets Services CEO, Sam Iwuajoku, apologized to Nigeria's Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika, stating that his company had erred in airlifting Marley to Abuja.
According to Iwuajoku, the mistake occurred when he mistook Marley's name for that of Nigeria's Works and Housing Minister, Babatunde Raji Fashola.
Marley, however, was not pleased with the airline's CEO, calling him and his crew 'useless people' in a tweet.
As a result, the airline's services have been suspended indefinitely, and the captain of the flight will also be sanctioned for giving wrong information to the control tower.
Nigeria's Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, stated that the operation was a clear violation of their approvals and that they will put stricter mechanisms in place to prevent such incidents from happening again.
