A Magistrate’s Court sitting at Nomansland area of Kano, has remanded a former Kano State commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mu’azu Magaji, at a correctional centre in the state.
Magaji is facing a four-count charge, bordering on defamation of character, intentional insult, injurious falsehood and inciting disturbance against Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
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It was reports that youths had earlier staged protest in the court, a situation that caused delay in the sitting of the court.
But when the matter was finally called, Magaji pleaded not guilty to all the charges said to be in contravention of Sections 392, 399 and 114 of the Administration of Criminal Justice of Kano State 1999.
The magistrate, Aminu Gabari, then ask the defendant whether he knew the meaning of defamation of character to which the former commissioner answered no.
The judge explained that part of the First Information Report (FIR) is accusing Magaji of posting Ganduje’s picture on Facebook with a lady, which portrayed the governor of having extra-marital affairs but Magaji denied the allegations.
However, after objecting the bail application made by Magaji’s counsel, the magistrate ordered that the former commissioner be remanded at a correctional centre until Thursday when ruling will be delivered on the bail application.
Magaji’s arraignment earlier fixed for January 28, 2021, could not hold because his lawyer, Gazzali Ahmad, argued that his client temporarily lost his ability to hear following the accident that happened when police attempted to arrest him in Abuja.
The magistrate had then ordered him to be remanded at the police hospital in Kano, where he received medical attention.
