Suspense as Federal High Court Judge threatens to jail Spokesperson of Kano Governor {SEE WHY}
By OUR REPORTER, Kano
The Judge also asked all media representatives to identify themselves before commencing the ruling but, whereas only two journalists identified themselves, many of them sitting in the court room decided not to identify themselves for fear of the unknown.
The Judge of Court 3, Federal High Court sitting in Kano, Justice Simon Amobeda, on Thursday July 4, 2024, threatened to jail the Spokesperson to Kano State Governor, Mr. Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.
Journalists, who were at the court proceedings, were hit with suspense as the Judge, at the begining of his sitting, asked if at the courtroom, there is presence of Mr. Bature or his representative, in which the audience answered not in affirmative.
The Judge also asked all media representatives to identify themselves before commencing the ruling but, whereas only two journalists identified themselves, many of them sitting in the court room decided not to identify themselves for fear of the unknown.
The Judge then expressed dissatisfaction over some comments of the state government’s officials including Bature, who he said always viewed his judgment as bias.
“I know the Governor has immunity, but I have the liberty to jail any of his aides for unguarded utterances against the decision of the court,” said Justice Amobeda.
While delivering ruling in the case of State Commission of Inquiry constituted by Governor Yusuf, the Judge ordered a Certified True Copy (CTC) of his ruling today must be served to the Governor’s Spokesperson and any media representative in the court room to avoid misrepresentation.
In his ruling, Justice Simon Amobeda ordered the two presiding Judges of the Commission of Inquiry to resign within 48 hours.
In another proceeding at the State High court, Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu ordered all lawyers representing any party in the Kano Emirate suit to desist from granting media interview.
Kano has been on the spotlight of the media in Nigeria since the assumption of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on 29th May, 2023 due to a number of political crisis affecting the state with a high number of court cases.
Sanusi Bature, who recently won the Spokesperson of the Year Award 2024 (Executive Arm) by the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, has come to the limelight of media space known for his fire-for-fire approach in defending his pricipal (the Governor of Kano State).
The media war between the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and ruling New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano State has continued to generate accusations and counter accussations in the state, with the eastwhile National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Comrade Muhammad Garba, and Sanusi Bature, who represents both the immidiate past and present administration of Kano State, respectively.
This development was coming at the height of legal battle over multiful issues in Kano between former Governor Ganduje and current Governor Abba Yusuf.
Efforts made to get the Governor’s Spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, for his reaction proved abortive as he could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.
