Shock as Federal High Court judge threatens to jail Kano governor’s spokesperson 

Sanusi Bature Tofa

The Judge of Court 3, Federal High Court sitting in Kano State, Justice Ameboda, on Thursday, threatened to jail the spokesperson to Kano State Governor, Mr. Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.

Journalists, who were at the court proceedings, were astonished as the judge, at the beginning of his sitting, asked if at the courtroom, there was the presence of Bature or his representative, in which the audience answered not in the affirmative.

The judge also asked all media representatives to identify themselves before commencing the ruling but, whereas only two journalists identified themselves, many of them sitting in the court room decided not to identify themselves for fear of the unknown.

The judge then expressed dissatisfaction over some comments of the state government’s officials, including Bature, who he said always viewed his judgment as being biased.

“I know the governor has immunity, but I have the liberty to jail any of his aides for unguarded utterances against the decision of the court,” said Justice Ameboda.

While delivering ruling in the case of State Commission of Inquiry constituted by Governor Yusuf, the judge ordered a Certified True Copy (CTC) of his ruling today must be served to the governor’s spokesperson and any media representative in the room to avoid misrepresentation.

In his ruling, Justice Ameboda ordered the two presiding judges of the Commission of Inquiry to resign within 48 hours.

In another proceeding at the State High Court, Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, ordered all lawyers representing any party in the Kano Emirate suit to desist from granting media interview.

Kano has been on the spotlight of the media in Nigeria since the assumption of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on May 29, 2023 due to a number of political crises affecting the state with a high number of court cases.

Sanusi Bature, who recently won the Spokesperson of the Year Award 2024 (Executive Arm) by the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, has come to the limelight of media space known for his fire-for-fire approach in defending his principal (the Governor of Kano State).

The media war between the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and ruling New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano State has continued to generate accusations and counter accusations in the state, with the erstwhile National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Comrade Muhammad Garba, and Sanusi Bature, who represents both the immediate past and present administration of Kano, respectively.

This development is coming on the heels of legal battle over multiple issues in Kano between former Governor Ganduje and current Governor Abba Yusuf.

Efforts made to get the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, for his reaction proved abortive as he could not be reached as at the time filing this report.

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