Court
The Police in Kano on Tuesday arraigned a 58-year-old President Buhari’s long-term campaigner, Abdulmajid Danbilki-Commander, at a Magistrates’ Court, for defamation of character.
Danbilki-Commander, who resides at Koki Quarters, Kano, was arraigned on a three-count charge of intentional insult, defamation of character and inciting disturbance.
The Prosecuting Counsel, Mr Sunday Ekwe, told the court that two Special Assistants to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media: Sha’aban Sharada, Bashir Ibrahim and their friend, Hafiz Ibrahim, all of various addresses, reported the matter at the Kano State Police Command Headquarters on Jan. 21.
Ekwe told the court that on Jan. 14, the defendant aired a radio programme at Aminci Radio Station in Kano, where he intentionally insulted the three complainants by defaming their character and reputation, and called them liars.
He alleged that the defendant also impersonated as acting for the President Muhammadu Buhari and working to cause a misunderstanding within the APC party.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened Sections 392, 399 and 114 of the Penal Code.
Counsel to the defendant, Mr Husaina Aliyu, made a verbal bail application in respect of the defendant under Section 36, sub-section 5 and Section 340, sub-section 2 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
“If admitted to bail, the defendant would not jump bail or commit any offence and would not tamper with police investigation,’’ the counsel said.
Aliyu urged the court to grant the defendant bail because of his health and because he is a well-known person in the society.
Chief Magistrate Kabiru Abubakar, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N2 million, with two reliable sureties, one of whom must be a person with landed property worth N50 million in Kano, with a Certificate of Occupancy.
Abubakar said that the second surety must be a Civil Servant on Grade level 14 and both the defendant and sureties shall each deposit two recent Passport-size photographs.
He, therefore, adjourned the matter until Feb.15, for mention.
