Kano Governor Sues Daily Nigerian Pubisher, Demands N3bn

Abdullahi Ganduje, the Kano State Governor, has filed a 3 billion naira lawsuit against Jaafar Jaafar, the publisher of the Daily Nigerian newspaper for alleged defamation over publications of videos showing the governor receiving bribes from a contractor. Governor Ganduje was caught via a hidden camera, receiving thick wads of dollar bills from a contractor.

In a writ of summons obtained by news agencies, the suit filed by the counsel to the governor, Nurudeen Ayagi has been tendered to the Kano State High Court. The court demanded that the defendants to appear the court within 2 weeks. This development came right after the State High Court banned the State House of Assembly from investigating further into the bribery allegations.

The counsel prayed the court to declare that “the act of publishing and circulating libelous statements, false and doctored video clips attacking and impugning the character and integrity of the plaintiff amounts to defamation of character of the character plaintiff by the defendants and thus wrongful.”

Mr Ayagi also asked the court to outrightly declare that unqualified imputation of theft, fraud, corruption and dishonesty which are all criminal offenses by the defendant’s publication against the plaintiff without any conviction by a court of law, “is slanderous, libelous, injurious and wrongful.”

Read also: Seven-man committee to probe Gov. Ganduje’s alleged bribe video 

The governor’s lawyer also prayed the court to further grant the following: “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing the said defamatory story and sharing the said doctored video clips howsoever to whichever type of audience.”

An order compelling the defendant to pay the plaintiff the sum of N3, 000,000,000 ( Three Billion Naira) as damages for the defamation of the plaintiff character and standing.

You may also like: Top 20 Interesting Places to Visit in Kano State Nigeria

“An order compelling the defendants to write a public apology to the plaintiff and broadcast such apology through their online platforms and news media with global accessibility.”

In a statement of oath sworn at the High Court registry, Kano and attached to the writ of summons, Mr Ganduje claimed that as royal prince of Ganduje village and seasoned administrator, he has never been accused or indicted for fraud or any other corrupt practices.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *