COVID-19 Protocol: FCT Demolishes Five Entertainment Centres

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has pulled down five local wrestling and drama theatres popularly called ‘Gidan Drama’ and ‘Gidan Dembe’ over violation of COVID-19 protocol.

The demolition exercise which took place at Dakibiyu, Gwarimpa 1 and Sector Centre districts was carried out by the FCT Ministerial Enforcement Taskforce.

It also arraigned 25 persons including motorists and commuters for violating the health protocols, PUNCH reports.

Speaking after the demolition, the Head, Media, Public Enlightenment and Advocacy of the Taskforce, Ikharo Attah said the removal of the structures became inevitable following the failure of the operators to stop their activities at the arenas.

He added, “Thousands of persons gather at these local entertainment centres to watch artistes and wrestlers perform. In one of the centres, we observed during surveillance that thousands gather to watch nude dancers. Facemasks, physical distancing and sanitizing of the hands do not exist here at all.”

He, however, appealed to Kannywood actors and actresses who sometimes make appearances at the centres to desist from coming there.

On the arrest of violators, Attah said, “Most of the commercial drivers arrested carried too many passengers and overloaded their vehicles in contravention of the COVID-19 Transportation Guidelines and Protocols”.

He disclosed that one of the drivers who identified himself as Garba was sentenced to one-week imprisonment for assaulting a policeman attached to the taskforce and ramming his car into a police van while trying to evade arrest.