Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari has demanded the sum of 10 billion naira from the Chairman and the Secretary of Abuja Chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ), Emmanuel Ogbeche and Ochiaka Ugwu over alleged defamation of character and criminal imputations in a wrongful accusation over an arrest of a journalist in Abuja.
Masari is also demanding an unconditional and unreserved apology, retraction of the same statement in 8 national dailies within 7 days or face legal action.
This is in reaction to an earlier incident on January 1 where a journalist with the Summit Newspaper in Abuja, Nelson Omonu was arrested and detained in Katsina over a publication by the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Dutsinma Professor Armaya’u Bichi.
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Governor Aminu Masari through his Counsel Ernest Obunadike said, even though the Abuja chapter of the NUJ had issued a press statement to apologize for the misinformation, he said the act has injured the person of his client and exposed him to public ridicule.
Masari is therefore demanding N10 billion as compensation with a 7 ultimatum starting from January 20 for the NUJ to retract the publication and apologize in 8 popular national dailies including online news medium or face a legal action.
(Editor, Omor Bazuaye)