Court sentences journalists to 5 months imprisonment over libelous publication

Date: 2023-03-31

A Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital has sentenced two journalists to five months imprisonment or a fine of 100,000 each.

The two journalists; Gidado Shuiab and Alfred Oluyemi were sentenced on two-count charge of conspiracy and defamation of character based on a petition filed by Hillcrest Agro-Allied Industries Limited, Amberi village in Kwara State.

The duo are Editor and Correspondent of News Digest, an online news medium.

Senior Magistrate A.S Muhammed stated that, the ruling on the case with file number MCIA/674C/2019 was in connection with his reflection on the provisions of Criminal Justice Law (2018), as well as section 417(2)d of the Kwara State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2018.

DAILY POST learnt on Thursday that the company wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Kwara State over alleged libelous publication tagged 'Kwara Factory where Indian hemp smoking is legalised' published on the 26th March 2018 by the two defendants.

The publication was described as malicious and character assassination aimed at denting the reputation of the company.

The Kwara State Police Command, through sergeant Ayodele, the police officer attached to the State Criminal Investigation and intelligence department (CIID) upon investigation, prosecuted the duo owing to their acknowledgement and admissibility of the publication with no substantial evidence.

Fernandez Raheem, the technical Assistant to the MD/CEO of the company while speaking with DAILY POST on Thursday noted that the company is not interested to witch hunt, harass or intimidate any person, group of persons but to clear the name of the company that it does not engage in illegal dealings.

He added that the court on the 7th February 2023, sentenced the duo.

He said, “This is not to witch hunt, harass or intimidate any person, group of persons

or entity.

“It was borne out of the desire to correct the malicious damage the said publication

has created, and for the sake of emphasis that Hillcrest does not, and will never engage in any Illegal venture, now, or in the nearest future”.

But, the counsel to the two journalists, Ibraheem Gambari when contacted on Thursday, added that the duo have the right to appeal the judgement.

He added that he has been studying the judgement.

He said, “The young journalists have the right of appeal and efforts are on top gear towards exercising that constitutional right.

“We are studying the judgement right now and will do the needful soonest.

“But for the delay in obtaining the Certified True Copy of the Judgement due to some administrative bottlenecks in the court's registry, the notice of appeal would have been filed by now. Our clients have robust confidence in the merit of the appeal. Especially when you consider two fundamental and unassailable points”.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

UNILORIN Alumni     Ramadan     Ladi Hassan     Kwara State Television (KWTV)     Olokoba Sulyman     Alanamu     Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Abdullahi Samari     FOMWAN     Sardauna Of Ilorin     Baba Idris     UTME     Bamikole Omishore     Kwara Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations     Vishvas KOZ Tractors     Ibrahim Sulu Gambari     AbdulRazaq AbduMajeed Alaro     MalHub     Shuaibu Yaman     Nagode     Titus Suberu-Ajibola     Ubandawaki     Kwara 2019     Haliru Yahaya     Henry Olaosebikan     Olota Of Odo-Owa     KW-GIS     Kwara     Offa Poly     Kwara South     Kunbi Titiloye     Abdulmalik Bashir Mopelola Risikatullahi     Farouk Salim     Femi Oladiji     Kwara State Polytechnic     Ayotunde Emmanuel Alao     Elerin Of Erin-Ile     Esinniobiwa Quareeb     Bayo Onimago     Moshood Kashimawo Abiola     Ahmed Alhasssan     Abdulrazaq Adebayo     Raliat Elelu-Habeeb     George Innih     Share-Tsaragi     ER-KANG Mining     Bolaji Gambari     Kwara Hotel     Col. Taiwo     Maigidasanma     Laboratory-to-Product     PPS     Abdulrazaq Aiyelabegan     NURTW     Alaiye     Jimoh Olusola Imam     Muhammad Yahya     Kumbi Titiloye     Saadu Gbogbo Iwe     Sheu Ndanusa Usman     Kolawole Akande     Funke Adedoyin     International Public Sector Accounting Standards     Mufti Of Ilorin     National Broadcasting Commission     Sa\'adu Gambari     Sheikh Ariyibi     Face Masks     Mohammed Danjuma     Henry Makinwa     Saidu Isa     Kudirat Arinola Lawal     Wakilin Mata Lafiagi     Yomi Ogunsola     Katibi Ibraheem Adeola     Communication Network Support Services     Jamila Bio Ibrahim    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Amos Bajeh     Olatunde Oyeyiola     Emir Of Yashikira     Ballah     NTA Ilorin     Markaz Arabic And Islamic Training Institute, Agege     Otuka     Bashirat Bola Bello     Agor Market     Ahmed \'Lateef     Oke Sunna     Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq     Abdulfatai Baakini     Share/Tsaragi     Amoyo     Computer Based Test     Amada Jidda     Monthly Sanitation     Akanji     Yusuf Olaolu Ali     Baba Isale     Olofa Of Offa     Owode Market     Ganmo Electricity Sub-Station     Kemi Adeosun     Baba Idris     Kunbi Titiloye     Saduki Lafiagi     Offa Metropolitan Club     Muhammad Fawaz Abubakar     Abdulfatai Ahmed     Moses Rahman Popoola     General Hospital, Ilorin     Ilorin.Info     Saka Abimbola Isau     Hamidat Sulyman-Yusuf     Ariyo     Sobi Specialist Hospital     Garuba Alikinla Shittu     Yusuf Ali     Quran     Iyabo Adisa Ibiyeye     Yakubu Shaaba     Kaosarah Adeyi     EndSARS     Adedeji Onimago     New Naira Notes     Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen     Women Radio     Simon Sayomi     Hakeem Idris     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants Ltd     Arik     Amule Elementary School     Ghali Alaaya     Mohammed Yahaya Barki     Yusuf Amuda Abubakar     Mahe Abdulkadir     Igosun     Kwara State Internal Revenue Service     Ibrahim Gambari     Bamikole Omishore     Arandun     SARS     Kwara State Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations     Kwara Poly     Abdulahi Abubakar Bata     Yusuf Mubarak     Voices Of Tomorrow     Tanke Flyover Bridge     Oloruntoyosi Thomas     Mike Omotosho     Oladipo Akanmu Tolani     AbdulHamid Adi     Erubu Oba Zubair     Ishola Moses Abiodun     Gobirawa