On Monday, the revenue court in Ilorin will convene to address the legal dispute between Mandate International Publications Nigeria Limited, publishers of the National Pilot Newspapers, and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s Aide on New Media, Mr. Olayinka Fafoluyi.
The governor’s aide initiated a direct criminal complaint against the media outlet and one of its reporters.
During the previous hearing in March 2024, the media outlet requested the court to dismiss the case due to lack of jurisdiction and to strike it out for lacking locus standi by the complainant.
In February 2024, the Managing Director of National Pilot Newspapers, Alhaji Billy Adedamola, and reporter Ahmed Ajikobi were arraigned before the revenue court following the direct criminal complaint lodged against them by the governor’s aide, Fafoluyi.
The complaint included allegations of Criminal Conspiracy, Inciting Public Disturbance, Injurious Falsehood, Criminal Defamation, and Cyber Stalking, in violation of various legal provisions.
The petitioner cited online publications by the paper on May 15 and October 16, 2023, as injurious to the governor of Kwara state, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and his family.
During the last hearing on March 12, counsel to the respondents, Mohammed Abdullahi while arguing on a notice of preliminary objection filed before the court, dated 15th Janauary 2024, prayed “the court to refuse hearing the direct criminal complaint for being civil in nature by its contents and filed without due process “.
Abdullahi also prayed the court to decline “jurisdiction to entertain the case for lack of jurisdiction.”
Corroborating the counsel’s submission, O.M Owonishola, who also appeared for Mandate publication, described paragraph 4.3 of the counter affidavit filed by the Governor’s aide as “misleading”as the case was not brought under relevant provision of the law.
The presiding judge, after listening to the submission of the counsels on the matter, adjourned the case to Monday, April 15th, to deliver a ruling on whether the court has jurisdiction to proceed with the matter.