By Ishaya Ibrahim
Four weeks after Kano State government threatened to sue publisher of Daily Nigerian for defamation over video showing Governor Abdullahi Ganduje receiving kickback from a contractor, the matter has yet to get off the ground.
Rather, a group, Lawyers for Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria, has obtained a court order restraining the Assembly from continuing with the probe. But the Assembly responded that they are not complying.
Four weeks ago, the Kano government said it would file a criminal case against Daily Nigerian and its publisher for defamation over the video.
Mohammed Garba, the state’s commissioner for information said the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice would be challenging what he called the “implausible and eccentric posting of the cloned video.”
The Kano government, despite the threat, has failed to press charges for defamation of character.
Legally, the defence for defamation is justification. For Jafar, he claims that the video is real and therefore justifiable.
Meanwhile, the committee probing the video clips said it would continue with its assignment despite the court order.
Chairman of the committee, and member representing Kano Municipal, Baffa Danagundi said the court simply asked the committee to maintain status quo, not to stop the investigation, therefore they will definitely maintain the status quo.
