By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
A legal Practitioner, Barrister Peter A. Aki has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, over “malicious, libellous and criminal defamation” against Vice President, Kashim Shettima and the Managing Director/CEO of North East Development Commission (NEDC), Goni Mohammed.Alkali to ignite Political instability.
The petition dated June 4th, 2024 , which was received by the IGPs office on 10th June 2024 was signed by the Counsel and representatives of concerned citizens group that represented the Six States in the region.
The signatories included the Lawyer, Barrister Peter A. Aki, representatives of North East citizens from each state among them Barrister Atiku Ismaila, Gombe state, Alhaji Lawan Abdullahi, Bauchi State, Mallam Murtala S. Danejo, Taraba State, Aliyu Mohammed, Yobe State, Engr. Awwal Hayatu Wakili, Adamawa State and Abubakar Hussaini Borno State alleged that such libelous publications are capable of leading to break down of law and order.
The petitioners claimed that the publications on various national.dailies were false and was ”with a view to disparage the Vice President and the Managing Director in the eyes of right thinking persons, contrary to Nigerian Criminal and Penal code Laws and a gross violation of their Right to Dignity of Human Person as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended).”
As further contained in the petition, “We hereby humbly request that you use your good office to investigate this petition and take necessary actions as conferred on you and your office by law,”
The Petition which copies were distributed to newsmen in Bauchi was tittled: “Petition against some malicious libelous publication by One Pastor Dr. Sani Abdullahi and Reverend Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa against the Person and Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Managing Director of the North East Development Commission designed to ignite political instability across the Nation.”
Barrister Aki decried the incessant publication of libelous information stating that, “as concerned citizens of the region, our clients’ attention has been drawn to some recent malicious libelous publications sponsored by one Pastor Dr. Sani Abdullahi and Reverend Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa as leaders of an incongruous group parading themselves under a pseudonym as the Coalition of Civil Society Organization against Corruption in Northerner Nigeria (COCSOCINN).”
“As far as our clients have been able to decipher, there is no any registered group or association with this identity neither can they specifically point out as to who and who constitutes m6embers of the group,” he added.
The petitioners told the IGP that, “if there is anything to go by, it is the said Pastor Dr. Sani Abdullahi and Reverend Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa working in collaboration with some few professional mischief makers that have assigned unto themselves the obligation to malign and destroy both the person and office of the Vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shetima and the Managing Director of the North East Development Commission Alh. Mohammed Goni Alkali for reasons best known to them but which our clients have reason to believe, are just politically motivated.”
They further wrote that, “The publication is not only false, malicious, and destructive, it is a deliberate attempt to malign the person of the number Two man in the country, expose him and his family to ridicule, and needlessly incite public hatred against his person and his family.”
“This false information is criminal defamation that is capable of provoking the numerous supporters of Kashim Shettima in not only Borno, North Eastern State, in particular, and Nigeria as a whole.”
The Petiitioners added that, “Even common sense will tell anybody that cares to know, that the Bureau for Public Procurement Act has regulated the award of contracts and further that only the Federal Executive Council has the power to sanction any payment for contracts that are above the limit approved for the management of the North East Development Commission as stipulated under the relevant statutes.”
” It is therefore not practically possible under whatever guise, for the Managing Director of the North East Development Commission to unilaterally remove, from the Commission’s funds, the sum of 13 Billion for the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for personal gain as alleged,” they further argued.
They added that, “It is aqually not true that the M D’s son holds the position of a top contractor as he has never been involved in any contract with the North East Development Commission howsoever.”
“As regards the false allegation that the Managing Director of the North East Development Commission refused to doclare his assets; this should not be a matter for medial trial as we have a Code of Conduct Tribunal where any person with his verifiable claims on non-declaration of assets by a public servant can freely go and ventilate these claims instead of whipping sentiments through medial trail as done by these professional mischief makers,” they stressed.
According to them, “These false publications are likely to ignite another wave of a politically motivated insurrection across the nation under the guise of being whistle blowers. Our clients shall therefore be calling on your good office to bring the culprits to book and let them Produce evidence of facts verifying these malicious libelous publications”
It was further claimed that, “Our clients are of the most humble view that, these false publications are craftily tailored not only to tear apart the sub-region but mostly to ridicule the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s and its probity in public trust by stabbing his back men.”
“This is one lie too many. Therefore, our clients have risen up to the challenge, Because First and foremost Sir, as people who have been beaten and battered by years of insecurity and instability, our clients cannot dismiss in one sentence the concerted synergy that the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies including the civil society have deployed to secure relative peace and stability in the sub-region. Our clients admit that in this struggle some people have indeed paid the supreme price,” the petitioners further wrote.
They stressed that, “Unfortunately Sir, some elements within the region have cled themselves as undercover revolutionary agents menacing disbolic schisms for dish-emony as their stock in trade thereby brewing anything but peace and stability in the region, with the wise saying that when elders are at home, they cannot stand by and- watch the mother-goat deliver tethered.”
According to them, “It is for this reason that our clients are calling on your good office to invite the said Reverend Kallamu Muša Ali Dikwa, Pastor Dr. Sani Abdullahi and their collaborators for questioning and possible prosecution if found wanting.”
It would recalled that three weeks ago, Reverend Kallamu and Pastor Abdullahi held a press conference in Abuja and alleged that they petitioned President Bola Tinubu over N13billion corruption allegation levelled against the Managing Director of North East Development Commission (NEDC), Mohammed Goni Alkali.
