Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is set to discontinue the case he filed against journalist and publisher of Daily Nigerian Jaafar Jaafar.
Ganduje had in November 2018 filed a N3 billion lawsuit against Jaafar for alleged defamation over publications of videos purporting to show the governor collecting bribes in dollars.
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He asked the court to declare that “the act of publishing and circulating libelous statements, false video clips on online media, attacking and impugning the character and integrity of the Plaintiff amounts to defamation of character of the Plaintiff by the Defendants.”
The governor also sought for perpetual injunction “restraining the Defendants (Daily Nigerian and its publisher Jaafar) from further publishing and sharing the said defamatory statement on any media howsoever described.”
But in an application to the Kano State High Court dated the 28th day of Jun, 2021, Ganduje’s lawyers,l ed by Chief E.O.B Offiong, SAN, sought for “an order granting leave to the Plaintiff/Applicant to discontinue his claims in Suit No K/519/2018 against the defendant before this Honourable Court.
“An order discontinuing Plaintiff/Applicant’s claims in Suit No K/519/2018 against the Defendant in this Honourable.
“And for such further or other Order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance of this case.”
The application was supported by a 4-paragraph affidavit deposed to by C. N. Obile, Esq. who said in paragraph 3 (c) and (d) that “the matter is yet to proceed to trial and the Plaintiff/Applicant now intends to discontinue this action before this Honourable Court.
“That by the Rules of this Honourable Court, where a defence has been filed and a plaintiff wishes to discontinue his action, leave of court is required to discontinue, hence this Application.”
The case has been slated for mention on the 6th of July, 2021
