The Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has filed another defamation case in FCT High Court against DAILY NIGERIAN newspaper and its publisher, Jaafar Jaafar.
In October 2018, DAILY NIGERIAN had published video clips of the governor stuffing bundles of dollars, suspected to be a bribe from a contractor, in his pockets.
The governor, subsequently, sued the newspaper publisher, asking the court to declare that “the act of publishing and circulating libellous statements, false video clips on online media, attacking and impugning the character and integrity of the Plaintiff amounts to defamation of character of the Plaintiff by the Defendants”.
Recall that a Kano High Court on July 6 awarded the sum of N800,000 to the newspaper and its publisher, after the governor decided to withdraw the case in Kano.
Already there is a pending matter regarding a counter-claim filed against the governor in the Kano court, where the journalist sought N300m damages for soiling his reputation.
In the new Writ of Summon dated July 15 and sighted by our reporter, the court requested the newspaper and its publisher to enter appearance after service of the writ.
“You are hereby commanded that within fourteen days after service of this writ on you, inclusive of the day of such service, you do cause an appearance to be entered for you in an action at the suit of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje AND TAKE NOTICE, that in default the Claimant may proceed and judgement may be given in your absence,” the writ said.
