Alleged falsehood: Speaker Abbas drags ex-Kaduna lawmaker to court

The Speaker, House of Representatives, Dr. Abbas Tajuddeen, has filed a direct criminal complaint against Suleman Wakili, former member, Kaduna State House of Assembly before a Magistrates’ Court No. 6 sitting at Chediya, GRA Zaria.

At the resumed hearing of the case on Thursday in Zaria, Mr. M.I. Aliyu, counsel to the complainant, sought for adjournment to enable the representative of the speaker to appear in court.

Mr. A.Y. Mohammed, counsel to the defendant, did not object to the application for adjournment.

However, the presiding Magistrate, Mr Ibrahim-Adamu Salisu, adjourned the case until April 16 for continuation of hearing.

The criminal complaint was pursuant to the Administration of Criminal Justice Law and was hinged on the alleged injurious falsehood and defamation of character

The alleged offenses were contrary to the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State 2017.

The speaker instituted the case through his Legislative Aide, Alhaji Aliyu Waziri, on Jan. 9, 2023.

He alleged that sometimes in November 2022 or thereabout, the defendant published on a social medium in Hausa Language (his Facebook page), series of injurious and blatant false statements with the knowledge that the publication would harm the reputation and integrity of Abbas Tajudeen.

He added that the publication had tarnished the hard-earned image of Abbas Tajudeen, who is the member representing Zaria Federal Constituency and Speaker House of Representatives.