Kano DG of protocol drags Jaafar Jaafar to court over defamation allegations –
However,the case was filed by the Director General of Protocol at the Kano State Government House, Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, who accused Jaafar and another defendant, Audu Umar, of describing him as a “thieving aide” to the governor in reports published on August 22 and August 25,by his newspaper
Accordingly,the court documents show the complaint was filed under Sections 106 and 107 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Kano State, 2019, and Sections 114, 164, and 393 of the Penal Code. The complainant is seeking prosecution for alleged criminal defamation and breach of public peace.
While the reports cited in the suit include an August 25 article titled “Gov. Yusuf Defends Thieving Aide, and another on August 22 headlined “Court Documents Reveal How ICPC, EFCC Traced N6.5 Billion to Gov. Yusuf’s DG Protocol.”
However, Rogo told the court the stories were “false, malicious, and deliberately crafted” to damage his reputation and that of Governor Yusuf.
In his ruling,the Magistrate Abdul’aziz M. Habib of Court 15, Nomansland, Kano, on Thursday directed the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone One, to conduct a full-scale investigation into the case. The order was signed by the court registrar following Rogo’s application filed on August 28.
Police have been instructed to determine whether Jaafar violated journalistic ethics by “making conclusions on a pending investigation and describing someone as a thief merely because that person was under probe by the ICPC,” according to the court filings.