Kano state Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has instituted a suit at a Federal High Court in Kano demanding damages of three Billion Naira (N3 Billion) against the publisher of an online newspaper Daily Nigerian for alleged defamation.
In a Writ of Summons , Counsel to the Plaintiff Nuradeen A. Ayagi tendered before the High Court dated 13, November , 2018, demanded the defendants for an appearance to be entered for him before 14 days.
The Counsel prayed the court to declare as follows, “a declaration 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.”
Ganduje’s Counsel equally urges the Court to further out rightly 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 laws, is slanderous, libelous, injurious and wrongful.
Ganduje want the court to further averred that “ and 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.
“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.”
Daly Nigerian an online newspaper had published stories and videos alleging that the Kano state Governor Abdullahi Ganduje collected $5 Million as bribe from contractors.
