By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The Kaduna State government has named a former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Professor Chidi Odinkalu, among eight journalists and activists facing charges bordering on ‘criminal defamation’ in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Justice, Aisha Dikko, in a statement, said El-Rufai has nothing to do with the cases listed against him in the petition to the NBA which led to his dis-invitation to the conference that ended on August 29.
The Commissioner said the cases were rather being prosecuted by the Kaduna State Ministry of Justice.
“The cases mentioned in the NBA petition were filed by the Ministry of Justice as part of its statutory duty to enforce law and order. This rebuts the effort of the petitioners to personalise the functions of the government,” Dikko said.
The Commissioner said in a bid to enforce law and order, certain persons who were found to have made inciting comments were reported to the police and subsequently charged for criminal defamation.
Among those she listed is Odinkalu, whom she said has cases pending before the Chief Magistrate Court, High Court and Federal High Court, Kaduna.
“The facts are that on the 16th February 2019 while on Channels TV, he made serious allegations against the Governor of Kaduna State which were capable of inciting disturbance and the breakdown of law and order in the State,” the press statement reads.
Other persons facing prosecution according to the Kaduna State government include chief executive officer of Chocolate City, Audu Maikori, journalists – Stephen Kefason and Luka Binniyat, lecturer and rights activist, John Danfulani, and a Facebook user, Segun Onibiyo.
The press statement also said a lawyer, Gloria Ballason, made a Facebook post for which the Kaduna State government petitioned the NBA.
On the abduction of a social media influencer, Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, the Kaduna State Ministry of Justice said it knows nothing about the case, and that the state government has no hand in the act.
Dadiyata was abducted in his home on August 2, 2019, by unknown persons in Kaduna State.