Yuguda sues APC chieftain for N10bn over defamation

Former Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, has
taken Alhaji Sani Shehu of APC, before the Bauchi
State High Court 9, for alleged defamatory
utterances against his personality and his
administration and is seeking N10bn in damages.
Counsel to the plaintiff (Yuguda), Mr. Okechukwu
Nwaeze, who disclosed this to journalists in Bauchi
on Friday, said the former governor filed the suit
against Sani Mallam over his allegations that
Yuguda was corrupt and fraudulent during his
tenure as the governor of the state.Okechukwu said
the plaintiff complained of the APC chieftain’s
reckless and defamatory public comments about
his personality and administration on 2 radio
stations: Ray power FM and the Bauchi Radio
Corporation.
The counsel alleged that Mallam, who was a former
All Nigeria Peoples Party Chairman in the state,
“accused Yuguda of woeful performance, excessive
looting of public treasury, name-calling such as
election rigger and manipulator. All these
statements tempered with the reputation and
personality of the former governor.
“It is not right to persecute people in the
media. If the man is guilty of any fraud, the
defendant should provide the proof or
otherwise focus on his political activities.
“Our prayers are that the court should issue
an order for the defendant to tender an
apology in two national dailies and two online
papers. The defendant should also be banned
from featuring on such political programmes
in media houses and should pay the sum of
N10bn damages to the plaintiff.”
The Presiding Judge, Justice Muazu Abubakar,
adjourned the case to October 6, 2015.

PUNCH