N40m Libel Suit: Buhari Campaign Organization Is Not Known To Law, Says Court.

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Apo
division has struck out the name of the Buhari Campaign
Organization from the forty million naira libel suit filed by the
President against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Justice Binta Mohammed held that the organization is not known
to law.

The judge agreed with submissions made by counsel to Atiku, Mr.
Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume, that not being a juristic person, it cannot
sue or be sued.

In the libel suit marked FCT/HC/CV/ 804/2019, President Buhari
and his campaign organization, accused Atiku and his aide, Mr.
Phrank Shaibu, of making several defamatory statement in the media,
to the effect that Buhari used his position as the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria and head of the government, to
fraudulently acquire two private companies for himself, his family
members, and friends.

The plaintiffs told the court that Atiku and his aide falsely
claimed that President Buhari acquired the said companies using his
influence and the control he has over the head of parastatals or
organisations that are connected with activities of the
companies.

However, hearing in the suit suffered setbacks following the
striking out of the name of BCO as a co-plaintiff as well as a
motion by the plaintiff to replace the name of the campaign
organization with that of Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, as the 2nd
defendant

Court Jails Economics Graduate for
Impersonation

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal
office, has secured the conviction of an Economics graduate from a
public university in Southwest Nigeria, Fredrick Shuaibu, for
criminal impersonation.

Fredrick was convicted and sentenced to four months imprisonment
on Wednesday, April 10, 2019 by Justice Watilat Ibrahim of a
Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State after pleading guilty to
an amended one-count charge of fraudulent impersonation.

He was said to have used the computer and network system to
fraudulently impersonate one Kristen Polochak, a white female, via
his email KristenPolochak@gmail.com, using same to dupe one Jim
Fletcher of a sum of $1,000.

The offence, according to the charge sheet, was contrary to
Section 22 (3) (b) and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the Cyber
Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015.

The convict was originally arraigned on December 10, 2018 on a
five-count charge. But the charges were dropped when he opted for a
plea bargain.

Mabas Mabur, EFCC’s counsel, thereafter prayed the court to
convict him based on the plea bargain agreement signed by both
parties.

After considering the terms of the plea bargain, the presiding
judge convicted and sentenced Fredrick to four months imprisonment
with effect from the day he was arrested by the EFCC.

The court also ordered that he restitutes to his victim the sum
of $1,000.

He was also to forfeit to the Federal Government his HP laptop,
a Macbook, one iPhone 6 mobile phone, one power bank, three MTN SIM
cards, being part of the benefits he derived from his fraudulent
acts.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
April 10, 2019