Journalist Drags Daily Trust, Nasarawa Govt & Yakubu Lamai to Court for Alleged Defamation

The Director-General, Media, to the governor of Nasarawa State, Mr. Yakubu Lamai, Daily Trust Newspaper and Nasarawa State Government have been dragged to Court by a former staff of Daily Trust Newspaper for alleged defamation.

The former correspondent of Daily Trust Newspapers in Nasarawa State, Ibraheem Hamza Muhammad has taken them to court through his lawyer Barrister M. A. Danmama for alleged defamation of character.

At the commencement of hearing at the Nasarawa State High Court sitting at New Karu on Tuesday, the claimant said that he had investigated and balanced a story which was published in the online medium of Daily Trust titled: “No single ventilator but Nasarawa buys N500m cars for lawmakers”.

Here is the internet link of the story: https://dailytrust.com/amp/no-single-ventilator-but-nasarawa-buys-n500m-cars-for-lawmakers.

However, the Director General Media to the Governor of Nasarawa State, Mr. Yakubu Lamai allegedly wrote a defamatory rejoinder titled: Rejoinder, no single ventilator but Nasarawa buys N500m cars for lawmakers.

Here is the internet link of the story is: https://dailytrust.com/rejoinder-no-single-ventilator-but-Nasarawa-buys-N500m-cars-for-lawmakers

The former Daily Trust staff, Ibraheem Hamza Muhammad is pleading for the Court to grant him damages of N300,000,000:00 (three hundred million naira).

In their separate responses, lawyers to the 1st , 2nd and 3rd defendants, Barrister Felix Dza and E.J Ittah and of the 4th defendant, F.C. Uzowuru moved motions for extension of time within which to file their defence.

The motion was granted by the honourable court presided by Justice Hannatu Kabir.

The case has been adjourned till Jan 27, 2022.