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.

Kayode Ishola     Kwara North     Ilesha Gwanara Road     Oke-Ode     Abdulrasaq Alaro     Yunus Lawal     Unilorin     Amos Sayo     Okoolowo     Chief Of Staff     Asiwaju Bola Tinubu     Durosinlohun Atiku     Albert Ogunsola     Adedayo Yusuf Abdulkareem     Doyin Awoyale     Oniwasi Agbaye     Sidikat Akaje     Zubair Folorunsho Erubu     Omotoso     Mahmud Ayinla Giwa     Haruna Olawale Sulaiman     Garba Dogo     Yusuf Lawal     Muhammad Mustapha Suleiman     Umar Adelodun     Wahab Femi Agbaje     Sa\'adu Gambari     Adesina Simon Sodiya     Yahaya Jibril Usman     Garment Factory     Abdulmumini Jawondo     Offa Poly     Mohammed Ghali Alaaya     Olufolake Abdulrazaq     Ezekiel Yissa Benjamin     Vishvas KOZ Tractors     Oluwatoyin Lukman     Aliyu U. Tilde     Isiaka Gold     Simeon Sayomi     Dasuki Belgore     Ishaq Oloyede     Kayode Oyin-Zubair     Olatunji Abdulmumeen     Kale Kawu     MINILS     SSUCOEN     Oko-Erin     Ibraheem Abdullateef     Babatunde Ajeigbe     TETFUND     Rabiu Kwankwaso     Ekweremadu     Olatunde Jare     Saka Abimbola Isau     Niguel Gallando Marcias     Offa     Florence Saraki     Yusuf Aiyedun     Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen     Alaiye     KWTV     Ibrahim Orire     Emir Of Kano     Aminu Adisa Logun     Garba Ado Sanni     Bola Tinubu     Ayo Opadokun     Saba Jibril     Suleiman Mora Omar     CT Ayeni     Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Gobirawa     Adesoye College     Quareeb Islamic Association     KFA     Elese Of Igbaja    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Olomu Of Omu-Aran     Amosa     Toyosi Thomas     Oyun     Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone     Ayotunde Emmanuel Alao     Haliru Dantoro     Na\'Allah     Alumni Association Of The Federal Polytechnic Offa     Ajase-Ipo     Tope Daramola     Abiodun Musa Aibinu     Pakata     Omoniyi     Gbemi Saraki     Aso Ofi     Kamaldeen Kehinde     General Hospital, Ilorin     Tosho Yaqub     Muhammadu Gobir     Oluronke Adeyemi     Onilu     Saka Saadu     Bolaji Gambari     EFCC     Convocation Ceremonies     Saliu Ajibola Ajia     Gaa Olobi     Okala Baba     Henry Makinwa     Abraysports FC     Hameed Oladipupo Ali     Turaki Of Ilorin     Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye     Arik     Amusement Park     Ladi Hassan     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Third Estate     Kwarareports.com     Ganmo Electricity Sub-Station     Aisha Buhari     CELF     Voices Of Tomorrow     Code Of Conduct Tribunal     Aisha Ahman-Pategi     Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     AbdulRazaq AbduMajeed Alaro     Plat Technologies Limited     Aro Yahaya     Toun Okewale-Sonaiya     Lanre Issa Onilu     Saka Keji     Amule     Monsurat Omotosho     Opaleke Bukola Iyabo     Adedeji Onimago     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Shuaib Olarongbe     Al-Hikmah University     Sheriff Olanrewaju     Lai Gobir     Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed     Tunde Yusuf     Abdullahi Dasilva Yussuf     20 Billion Bond     Alimi Abdulrazaq     Oke-Oyi     Bond     Yusuf Amuda Gobir     Sheikh Ridhwanullah El-ilory     Senior Special Assistant On Student Affairs     Shoprite     Haruna Olawale Sulaiman     Ishola Moses Abiodun     Alabere