Against the backdrop of alleged sex party allegation scheduled to hold at Asher Restaurant and Lounge in Kaduna State, which moved the government to demolish the facility, Police witnesses on Monday told the Gabasawa Chief Magistrate Court on Ibrahim Taiwo Road, that there was no sex party on December 27, 2020 at the premises.
According to signaturetv.org, this was during cross-examination at the resumed hearing of the case involving the Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party in Kaduna State, Abraham Alberah and four others, for allegedly organizing an aborted sex party in the state.
It was reported that the state government had arraigned the PDP’s spokesman and four others in court for attempted adultery and organising a nude party in breach of the COVID-19 protocol.
Alberah is the husband of Aisha Yakubu, the owner of Asher Lounge, venue of the botched sex party which was demolished by the Kaduna State Urban and Planning Development Authority on December 31, 2020.
The state government had stated that it demolished the building for planning to host a nude party but later made a u-turn, stating that the main reason for the demolition was that the building had no approval.
However, there was a twist at the resumed hearing of the case on Monday as the police witnesses gave conflicting evidence before the court.
Two of the witnesses, ASP Alfa Yahaya and Corporal Ibrahim Adamu were presented by the police prosecutor, ASP Shola Olodowa before the court.
While Yahaya, under cross-examination, told the court that he led an operation to arrest five suspects at the sex party venue with two Hilux vans and eight-armed personnel of the ‘Operation Yaki’ security outfit, the other police witness, Adamu, said to be part of the operation, claimed they visited the restaurant with three Hilux patrol vehicles, armed with 15 personnel.
Yahaya said, “When we got there(venue), we saw a crowd of people more than 50 not observing social distancing, not wearing face masks, no provision of hand sanitisers with many of them half-naked, drinking and playing loud music, who jumped the fence when they sighted the presence of police. We arrested the organizer and two DJ’s and took them to our station.
“I can identify three of the defendants who were not half-naked, but I cannot for those half-naked because they jumped through the fence. We did not see any sex party on that day (27th December 2020) and those who jumped through the fence were those not observing social distancing.”
On his part, Adamu said he was told by an officer who got a flyer of the sex party from the Divisional Police Officer via Whatsapp that there was going to be a special operation.
He said, “The flyer did not carry any venue. Then, another chat indicated that it was going to be at Asher Restaurant and Lounge.
“We went there with three Hilux vehicles with five personnel in each of the Hilux. When we got there, there was no sex party taking place there. The phone number on the flyer, when tracked, belongs to one Marvellous Akpan who accepted designing the flyer along with his friends.”
He further confessed that Asher Restaurant has nothing to do with the flyer, saying that “I saw the 2nd respondent, Abraham Alberah there but properly dressed in a caftan.”
Those arraigned in court were, Mr Abraham Alberah, Umar Rufai, Suleiman Lemona and two others, Chimezie Kenneth who organised the party, and Marvellous Akpan who disseminated the information (sic).
Mr Sam Stung Esq represented the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents while Segun Jimoh represented the 5th respondent.
The Chief Magistrate, Benjamin Hassan, then adjourned to February 22, 2021, for further hearing of the case while the suspects were still on bail.