PDP chieftain, lounge staff charged for attempted adultery in demolished hotel

For been involved in plans to allegedly host a nude party, the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State, Abraham Alberah, and four others, including staff of the lounge, have been charged for attempted adultery and organising a nude party in breach of the COVID-19 protocol.

They pleaded not guilty, but trial commences on 20th of this month.

They were charged with, “Violation of partial lockdown order of the Kaduna State Government 2020, criminal conspiracy and attempt to commit an offence to wit public nuisance, obscene or indecent act, gross indecency and adultery.

“On December 27, 2020 at about 21.30 hours, credible information was received at Sabon Tasha police station to the effect that a sex party was organised by some unknown persons to hold at a venue called Asher Guest Lounge located at Court Road, Sabon Tasha at Chikun local government area, Kaduna State to hold at about 19.00 hours.

“On receipt of the information, a team of policemen from Sabon Tasha Police Station rushed down to the scene mentioned above and found the said lounge filled up with over 50 youths both male and female dancing almost naked with no face mask on any of them.

“On sighting the policemen, the whole of the arena became chaotic as the said youths jumped from one corner to the other and escaped over the fence. Three suspects were arrested- Mr. Abraham Alberah, Umar Rufai and Suleiman Lemona while two others: Chimezie Kenneth, who organised the party and Marvellous Akpan, who disseminated the information (sic).”

Alberah is husband of Aisha Yakubu, the owner of Asher Lounge, the venue of the alleged sex party which was stopped by the Kaduna State government, and the lounge demolished by the State’s Urban and Planning Development Authority on December 31, 2020.

The government initially said it destroyed the building for hosting a nude party. However, shortly after, it rationalised based on an alleged breach of its urban development plan, saying there was no building approval.

The owner of the restaurant had also accused the police of extorting N120,000 from her and caused her to lose her pregnancy.

The nude party had already begun on December 27, 2020, when policemen arrived at the scene.

The defendant persons, who were brought before Gabasawa Magistrate Court, were also accused of contraventing the COVID-19 protocol and acting immorally.

The Magistrate, Benjamin Nok, granted bail to the tune of N100, 000 each with a surety who must own property.

Recall that human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), insisted that Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State flouted Section 79 of the Kaduna State Urban and Regional Planning Law, 2018, which he personally signed when his government demolished Asher Lounge, the venue of the aborted sex party.

Falana observed that there was nowhere the law mandated the government or its agencies to pull down a building without prior notice or giving room for fair hearing.

“The law which was signed by El-Rufai in 2018 does not allow for demolition without a notice. Section 79 of the law is clear. No governor has the right to authorise a demolition of the property of anyone.

“The governor cannot be the accuser, the prosecutor, the judge and the executor the judgment. All the states in Nigeria have similar laws, whether in Rivers or Lagos. None has the power to pull down the property of any citizen who has not been given the opportunity of making a representation.

“No one is in support of sex parties taking place in the country but anyone found wanting should be arrested and prosecuted according to the law. They should have prosecuted those accused of committing the offence and not pulled down the building”, Falana was quoted as saying.