A Magistrate Court in Bauchi State has issued a bench warrant against WikkiTimes‘ publisher, Haruna Mohammed Salisu.
WikkiTimes had in an investigative report, exposed how Mansur Manu Soro, a member representing Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency in the Green Chamber, allegedly diverted hundreds of millions in what appears to be fraudulently contracts through his associate in Bauchi State.
Mr Soro who initially vowed not to take any legal action against the publication backtracked. He was said to have used his ally, Abubakar Abdullahi who is a director of Sahel Global Desert Energy Limited, to sue WikkiTimes over the publication.
Joined in the lawsuit are Yawale Adamu (the reporter), and Haruna Salisu Mohammed, the publisher.
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The court issued the warrant due to Salisu’s inability to personally appear before it.
The presiding judge noted that Salisu’s absence from court sessions necessitated the enforcement of an earlier order to arrest him. The parties in the suit had been served through substituted service.
In the suit, the lawmaker claimed that WikkiTimes’ report defamed his character and damaged his personal and social life.
WikkiTimes’ counsel, Barrister Idris Safiyanu Gambo, explained that his clients were initially unaware of the lawsuit until they were served through substituted service.
Barrister Gambo contended that there was no record of attempts to serve the respondents before resorting to substituted service.
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He emphasized that his clients have been complying with court dates and that he has kept the court informed about the publisher’s absence because he was out of the country since the start of the case.
Gambo clarified, “After we received the service at our office, we went to court, but it wasn’t in session, and the complainant was absent. We requested to be informed of any new dates. Therefore, we have not erred. We asked the registry to notify us of any rescheduled hearings.
Despite this, the complainant told the court that we ignored its invitation, as there was no record of our attendance.”
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He further noted that there is no evidence of efforts to serve his clients at the addresses provided in the summons, as both defendants have different addresses.
WikkiTimes journalists have been subjected to state persecution in Bauchi due to their reporting which often exposes corruption at the subnational level and holds authorities accountable.
The publisher has been locked in a correctional facility while covering the 2023 general election allegedly on the order of Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed.
Recall that the police in Bauchi have seized Salisu’s phones while in detention. They, however, refused to return Salisu’s phones despite a court order instructing them to do so.
WikkiTimes journalists have avoided its Bauchi office and resorted to working remotely following repeated threats against them for critical reporting against authorities.
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