By Hammed Shittu:
An Ilorin Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, yesterday ordered two journalists to be remanded at Oke-Kura Correctional Centre over allegations of defamation.
The two affected journalists are Mr. Akogun Abdulrasidi and Dare Akogun.
Prior to their arrangement, the members of the Association of Kwara Online Media Practitioners (ASKOMP) and other journalists had kicked against the plan to take the two journalists to the correctional centre without trial.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye, through a petition to the Commissioner of Police accused them of defamation and inciting the public against the state government.
Ajakaye said Abdulrasheed posted a comment on the popular WhatsApp platform, inaugurated by the Kwara State Government, accusing the government of the day of being most corrupt and of facilitating N15 million to prosecute the last election of the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), Kwara State chapter.
The government prosecutor, Nasir Yusuf, in his submissions, prayed the court for another date of adjournment pending the determination of police investigation over the matter.
He informed the court of the motion ex parte attached to the police report seeking the remand of the suspects and the 11 paragraph affidavit deposed to which was attached to it.
Magistrate Bio Salihu handling the matter, however, turned down Mr. Kehinde Eleja’s (SAN) appearance for the suspects saying according to Kwara State law, he lacks jurisdiction to hear him being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
However, in his short ruling, Magistrate Salihu ordered Dare and Abdulrasheed to be remanded in Oke-Kura Correctional Centre.
He therefore adjourned the matter to November 19.
