Face Justice for Defaming Me, Ganduje Tells Lawyer

Face Justice for Defaming Me, Ganduje Tells Lawyer

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

Kano State Government has stated that the legal practitioner and activist, Sa’ida Sa’ad Bugaje, who was dragged to court for allegedly defaming the state Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and his family, is trying to draw sympathy for herself instead of facing justice.

In a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday by the state Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, the state government dismissed the claim of harassment by Bugaje, who is also accused of allegedly inciting the public against Ganduje’s administration.

Garba pointed out that the lawyer, in a video clip which has become viral on social media platforms, maligned allegedly Ganduje and his family over an alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 funds, with the intent to create mistrust in the public.

He said the governor, who felt personally touched by the allegation, sought legal redress with a view to finding out the truth of the lawyer’s allegation.

The commissioner explained that while nobody is harassing or intimidating her, as a lawyer, she ought to have understood that she must have the facts to prove her claim, saying if she is evading arrest, then she must have made the allegation without understanding the consequences.

He added that all the governor is seeking is for her to prove her case before a court of law, as the state government would no longer allow such “careless and unsubstantiated allegations to go unpunished, particularly from a learned person who is supposed to have appreciated the consequences of making unverified statement.”

The information commissioner added that while every citizen has the right to make comments on matters that affect public interest, including public spending, when it involves allegations or infringement on the rights of individuals, there has to be facts to defend it.

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