By Abimbola Ogunnaike
A Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital has sentenced two journalists of News Digest, an online medium: Gidado Shuiab and Alfred Oluyemi to five months imprisonment or a fine of N100,000 each.
The duo of Shuiab and Oluyemi, Editor and Correspondent of News Digest respectively, were on Thursday, 30 March, 2021 sentenced on two-count charge of conspiracy and defamation of character based on a petition filed by Hillcrest Agro-Allied Industries Limited, Amberi village in Kwara State.
Senior Magistrate A.S Muhammed stated that, the ruling on the case with file number MCIA/674C/2019 was in connection with his reflection on the provisions of Criminal Justice Law (2018), as well as section 417(2)d of the Kwara State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2018.
It was gathered that the company wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Kwara State over alleged libelous publication tagged ‘Kwara Factory where Indian hemp smoking is legalised’ published on the 26th March 2018 by the two defendants.
The publication was described as malicious and character assassination aimed at denting the reputation of the company.
The Kwara State Police Command, through Sergeant Ayodele, the police officer attached to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence department (CIID) upon investigation, prosecuted the duo owing to their acknowledgement and admissibility of the publication with no substantial evidence.
“The young journalists have the right of appeal and efforts are on top gear towards exercising that constitutional right.We are studying the judgement right now and will do the needful soonest.
“But for the delay in obtaining the Certified True Copy of the Judgement due to some administrative bottlenecks in the court’s registry, the notice of appeal would have been filed by now. Our clients have robust confidence in the merit of the appeal. Especially, when you consider two fundamental and unassailable points,” he said.
