Kaduna State Government has arraigned the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Abraham Alberah Catoh, whose wife, Aisha Mercy Yakubu is the CEO of the demolished Asher Restaurant and Lounge, and four others for allegedly organising a party in breach of the state’s COVID-19 protocols and attempted adultery.
Daily Trust reports that the restaurant was demolished by officials of Kaduna State Urban and Planning Development Authority (KASUPDA) on December 31, 2020, as the alleged venue of the botched sex party, which circulated on social media.
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KASUPDA had, via its Twitter handle, stated that the building was demolished on the instructions of Governor Nasir El-Rufai as the venue for the illicit event.
It later made a U-turn on Tuesday when it stated that checks from the government records showed that the building housing Asher Restaurant and Lounge had neither a valid title nor a development permit.
Aisha Mercy Yakubu, who faulted police claims that it arrested the organisers of the event, said two of the people paraded by the police were her staff and accused the police of extorting N100,000 from her to bail them.
She also accused the police of demanding N20,000 from her to track down the suspect, whose phone number was on the circulated leaflet.
She said due to the action of KASUPDA in which no notice was given for the demolition, she had lost goods worth N32 million and a one-month pregnancy.
The state government on Wednesday arraigned Aisha’s husband, Abraham Alberah, Umar Rufai, Suleiman Lemona, Chimezie Kenneth, who is said to have allegedly organised the party and Marvellous Akpan, who disseminated the information.
The five suspects were arraigned before Magistrate Benjamin Nok of the Gabasawa Magistrate Court on charges of flouting COVID-19 protocol and acting immorally.
Other charges included violation of a partial lockdown order of the Kaduna State Government 2020, criminal conspiracy and attempt to commit an offence with public nuisance, obscene or indecent act, gross indecency and adultery.
According to the charge sheet, the police had arrested Abraham Alberah, Umar Rufai and Suleiman Lemona at Asher Restaurant and Lounge, where it claimed over 50 people, male and female, were dancing almost naked with no face masks and had quickly escaped over the fence when they sighted the police.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges and were granted bail to the tune of N100, 000 each with a surety, who must own a property in Kaduna while the case was adjourned to January 20, 2021, for commencement of trial.
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