Senator drags ex-Majority Leader to Court for defamation

A Katsina State High Court has fixed Oct. 3, to hear a case filed by a former Majority Leader, Katsina State House of Assembly, Sani Liti-‘Yankwani, challenging his trial at an Upper Shari’ah Court for defamation. The former house leader was dragged to the Sharia court by Sen. Abu Ibrahim, who instituted direct criminal complaint against him.

The senator had accused Liti-‘Yankwani of portraying him as a liar, thereby attempting to damage his political career and incite the people against him. Ibrahim had cited four newspaper publications in which the former majority leader allegedly made the remarks, which according to him, is tantamount to defamation of his character.

During the High Court’s sitting on Wednesday, counsel to Liti-‘Yankwani, Mr. Alex Ajode, prayed for adjournment as the copies of the Upper Shari’ah Court proceedings were just served on the respondent’s counsel, Hauwa Wada. Wada did not challenge the application for adjournment, and the Judge, Justice Maikata Bako, adjourned the case till Oct. 3, 2017, for hearing. In the originating summon, the former majority leader had joined Sen. Ibrahim and the Sharia court judge as respondents.

Liti-Yankwani is asking the high court to quash the entire proceedings of the Upper Shari’ah Court, and order the transfer of the case to a court of competent jurisdiction.

He told the court that the proceeding before the second respondent in case number CFR1/394/2016 was irregular, a breach of the Constitution and established rules of practice and procedure in criminal trials.

CREDIT: VANGUARD