Court remands Ganduje’s critic over alleged defamation

Abdulmaji Danbilki Kwamanda, an ardent critic of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, on radio programmes, was on Tuesday, March 8, remanded in custody by a Kano State Magistrates Court presided over by Senior Magistrate Aminu Gabari.

The court ordered that Kwamanda be remanded for allegedly inciting public disturbance and making falsehood and injurious comments against the personality of Ganduje.

The Prosecution Counsel, in his First Information Report, alleged that Danbilki during his radio program, accused Ganduje of bribing the National Caretaker Chairman of All Progressive Congress, Mai Mala Buni, in order to facilitate the issuance of certificate to Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas as Kano Chairman of the party.

The prosecution argued that the offences contravened sections 392 and 393 of the Penal Code Law.

After the First Information Report was read out, Danbilki pleaded not guilty to the content.

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Hence, the defense counsel, Barrister Ibrahim Abdullahi Chedi, prayed the court to admit his client to bail, relying on sections 35, (5), 36 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended and sections 168 and 178 of Adminstration of Criminal Justice Law, (ACJL) 2019 of Kano State.

Barrister Chedi argued that the defendant is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty by the court.

”We have reasonable sureties if the court grant our prayer. These offenses are bailable and you have the discretionary power to grant our application.

Responding, the Kano State Counsel Barrister Wada Ahmad Wada, urged the court to disregard the application to admit kwamanda to bail.

He said, ”If the alleged offences were proven guilty the punishment exceeded 3 years jail terms. Before granting bail application, the Judge is urged to consider the following:

“Nature of the offence alleged to have been committed, punishment attached, prevalence of the offense in the society and likely of the defendant to commit another offence while on bail.

“It is obvious that the offense is prevalence and people don’t respect leaders or elders, I urged the court to so hold.”

Gabari, however, ordered the prosecution to provide the court with case diary to enable him study it before giving his ruling on the bail application by the defense counsel.

Consequently, the matter was adjourned till March 15, for ruling on bail application as the magistrate ordered the remand of Kwamanda in a correctional facility.

Dan Bilki Kwamanda used to be a staunch supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari before they parted ways.