A former correspondent of Daily Trust in Nasarawa State, Ibraheem Hamza Muhammad, has dragged the Nasarawa State Government; Yakubu Lamai, the Director-General, Strategic Communication & Press Affairs to the state governor, Abdullahi A. Sule; and Media Trust Limited, publisher of Daily Trust Newspapers to court for alleged defamation.
Speaking at the commencement of hearing of the case at the Nasarawa State High Court sitting at New Karu on Tuesday, Muhammad stated that he had investigated and balanced a story which was published in Daily Trust online with the headline: “No single ventilator but Nasarawa buys N500m cars for lawmakers” (see link here).
Muhammad, who spoke through his lawyer, Barrister M. A. Danmama, added that Lamai allegedly wrote a defamatory rejoinder titled: “Rejoinder, no single ventilator but Nasarawa buys N500m cars for lawmakers” (see the link here)
He is also pleading with the court to grant him damages in the total sum of N300,000,000:00 (three hundred million naira) against the defendants.
Meanwhile, lawyers to the first, second and third defendants, Barrister Felix Dza and E.J Ittah and of the fourth defendant, F.C. Uzowuru, in their separate responses, moved motions for extension of time to enable them file their defence accordingly.
The motion was granted by the court presided over by Justice Hannatu Kabir while the case was adjourned till Thursday, January 27, 2022.
