Accused persons in an alleged defamation case instituted by Senator Lawal Adamu in a Kaduna Magistrate Court regained their freedom on Thursday as the trial judge granted a 500, 000 naira bail to each of the defendants.
The trial judge Agatha Goni agreed to the bail application of the counsel to the two defendants Umar Sarki and Lawal Mai Mai after striking out the name of the third defendant, a kaduna-based radio station which aired the content the Senator said caused disrepute to his person.
Mr. LA, a Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone had dragged the two persons to a Kaduna Magistrate Court over an alleged defamation, unlawful accusations and inflammatory statements which he alleged caused harm to his reputation.
According to the charge sheet, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent listed false, defamatory and inflammatory statements made by the accused aired by a radio broadcast outfit in Hausa language.
“That the first defendant, Lawal Mai Mai made defamatory statement against Senator Lawal Adamu Usman, a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria accusing him of aligning with certain political interests and conspiring against others, knowing such to be false. specifically, the first Defendant was quoted as saying in Hausa Language, translated into English as follows:”
“He has aligned himself with Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s interests. In fact, he has become a spy for the president and engaged in anti-party activities in the Senate by facilitating the election of Godswill Akpabio as Senate President.
“We accuse him of conspiring against the Northern Senators’ forum and the PDP Senators wherever they hold meetings to restore the dignity of the North, he reports details of the meeting to Akpabio, who in turn reports to Tinubu,” the charge sheet read.
“That the third Defendant, Nagarta Radio, broadcast or disseminated defamatory statements from the first and second Defendants, thereby amplified the spread of false and malicious claims.Their actions played a significant role in tarnishing the reputation of the complainant and causing harm to his standing in the community.
The second defendant was also accused by the Senator as making injurious statement which he stressed caused disrepute to his person, adding that the statements and actions by the Defendants constituted acts of criminal defamation as provided under section 372 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017 and are punishable under the same section.
The Judge however, while striking out the third Defendant Nagarta Radio from the case, fixed 4 March 2025 for hearing of the case.
Counsel to the accused Barrister Frank Akhareghemen while lamenting the absence of the complainant at the court, stressed that the Senator ought to have been present, considering the magnitude of his allegation of crime against the defendants.
“The burden of proving defamation case against our clients is now left to the Senator to provide at the next hearing.
“Because we strongly believe that there is no evidence of defamation against our clients,” Akhareghemen said.