This archive report was first published on 17 June 2020.
On June 13, 2020, Nigerian singer Naira Marley performed at the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja, sparking controversy over how he managed to travel to the city despite interstate travel restrictions.
ExecuJet Services, a private jet company, had ferried Marley from Lagos to Abuja for the concert, which raised eyebrows on social media.
Nigeria's Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, subsequently called out ExecuJet Services CEO, Sam Iwuajoku, for violating COVID-19 guidelines and airlifting Marley to Abuja.
As a result, the company's license was suspended, and they were fined maximally according to the law, as stated by the Aviation Minister.
However, in a surprising twist, ExecuJet Services CEO Sam Iwuajoku claimed that the company had mistaken Marley for Nigerian Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, and had intended to fly the minister to Abuja on official business.
Marley responded to the allegations, calling the company 'useless' and threatening to lead a boycott against them, citing that over 20,000 of his fans travel with ExecuJet Services every month.
