The spokesman of the People’s Democratic Party in Gombe State has been remanded in custody by a Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly defaming character of some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Khalid Mu’azu Izala, the Public Relations Officer of the PDP in Gombe Local Government, was arrested and detained at the State Lowcost Police Divisional Office since Friday on the request of one Garba Mohammed Mairago, who accused him of using his Facebook page sometime in 2019 to write defamatory statements against him (Mairago) and some unnamed members of the APC in the state.
According to the Police First Information Report (FIR), read to the accused when he appeared in court on Tuesday, he posted on his Facebook page that Garba Mairago and some members of the APC are planning to ‘terrorize’ him.
The police Prosecutor, Sergeant Joel Peter said the accused was charged with one-count charge of defamation of character which was contrary to Section 391 of the Penal Code Law.
When asked by the court if the information as contained in the FIR is true, Khalid Izala denied the allegation.
Therefore, his defense counsels, Barristers Habu Abdu and Benjamin Sati applied for his bail under Sections 36 (5), 36 (B) of the 1999 constitution as amended and Sections 340 (1), 341 (3) and 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).
However, Sergeant Peter objected the bail application and told the court that the accused person may jump bail or obstruct the ongoing police investigation if he is release from detention.
The presiding judge, Chief Magistrate Bello Shariff adjourned the case to September 8 for ruling on bail application and ordered that the accused should be remanded in Gombe Central Correctional Centre.
It was gathered that the accused person detention was connected with several posts on his personal Facebook page, where he critised the policies and programmes of Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya’s administration.
It would be recall that last February, two members of the PDP in the state, Adamu Babale Makera and Atiku Boza-Boza were also detained in prison on the order of an Area court, for allegedly insulting Governor Yahaya, by calling him ‘leader of promise breakers.’
