A Kano State high court has ordered the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, to pay N800,000 to the publisher of the Daily Nigerian newspaper, Ja’afar Ja’afar over a video that showed Ganduje pocketing money alleged to be proceeds of bribery in 2018.
Ganduje denied being the figure in the video, rather claiming the video footage was manipulated. He accused mischief-makers who wanted to bring his name to disrepute as being responsible.
He filed a lawsuit asking the publisher of the online news platform to pay N3 billion in damages.
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On June 28, the Governor through his legal counsel, Offiong Offiong, filed fresh papers to the court seeking to discontinue the case.
The counsel to the defendant, Utum Eteng and M.B. Azumi, counsel to Penlight Media Limited, Publisher of Daily Nigerian at the hearing on Tuesday did not object to the application, however, demanded N400 million as part of terms to discontinue the suit.
As part of its terms for the discontinuation of the lawsuit, the lawyers demanded an apology which they stated should be published in national newspapers as well as a pre-action letter.
The trial judge Suleiman Na-mallam in his ruling granted the sum of N400,000 each to Ja’afar and his company.
The judge was, however, silent on the prayer by the defendants for the governor to make a public apology in national dailies.
