Two Nigerian lawyers, Ahmed Musa and Ridwan Yunusa, have denied any involvement in a petition seeking to prosecute journalists Jaafar Jaafar and Umar Audu of DAILY NIGERIAN newspaper. The petition, filed with the Chief Registrar of Kano State High Court, alleged defamation against the Director General of Protocol, Kano State Government House, Abdullahi Rogo. However, the lawyers claim their names were fraudulently included by Hamza Dantani, a lawyer representing Governor Yusuf.
The controversy stems from a report by DAILY NIGERIAN, which claimed that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had indicted Rogo for allegedly looting N6.5 billion. The funds were said to have been moved from the Kano State Government Federation Allocation Accounts to accounts of Bureau De Change operators in Abuja. Rogo filed a complaint, claiming the report was defamatory and could cause public disturbance.
The petition, dated August 27, listed several lawyers as counsel to the petitioner, including Mubarak Abubakar, Saadatu A. Mohammed, Ramla Abdulkadir Sani, Ahmed Musa, and Ridwan Yunusa. However, Musa and Yunusa have since distanced themselves from the petition, stating that their names were used without their consent. Yunusa said he had never been part of the law firm that signed the petition and had not authorized the use of his name. Musa also denied any involvement, saying he was not aware of the petition until Yunusa drew his attention to it.
The development highlights concerns about the use of legal proceedings to silence journalists and stifle press freedom. The case against Jaafar and Audu is seen as an attempt to intimidate and harass journalists who report on corruption and misconduct by public officials. The denial by Musa and Yunusa of any involvement in the petition adds to the controversy, raising questions about the legitimacy of the complaint against the journalists. The outcome of the case will be closely watched, as it has significant implications for press freedom and the ability of journalists to report on corruption and misconduct in Nigeria.
