Former Zamfara State Commissioner for information, Hon Ibrahim Dosara, has dragged former media aide to ex-Preisdent Goodluck Jonathan before the High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory, over allegation of fake news and defamation of character.
The former commissioner is seeking N5billion damages against the defendant, Mr Jackson Ude, publisher of Pointbank News.
In the suit filed by his counsel, Mr Moses Ebute, SAN, the plaintiff is praying the court for an order restraining the defendant from further publishing fake news and false information against him.
Dosara, through his lawyer, is demanding the retraction of the publication by Jackson Ude and payment of N5billion damages.
Mr Ebute, who addressed the media shortly after filing the case said the action became necessary, in view of the injurious nature of the publication to the former commissioner who meritoriously served the community, including British government.
He said that since the address of the suspect could not be identified, they would apply for a substituted service against the suspect.
In the suit dated September 13, the claimant claims against the defendant as follows: A declaration that the statements made and published by the Defendant on his Verified X-HANDLE (@jacksonpbn), and shared to other online media platforms worldwide, including POINTBLANKNEWS, et al, on the 9th day of September, 2024, for the reading of the general public, concerning the Claimant are libelous and defamatory of the claimant.
“An order directing the Defendant to retract the said defamatory statements made and published by the Defendant on his Verified X-HANDLE (@jacksonpbn), and shared to other online media platforms worldwide, including POINTBLANKNEWS, et al, on the 9th day of September, 2024, and tender an unequivocal apology in writing in respect of the said defamatory statements made by him concerning the Claimant and a further order to publish same in two (2) National Daily Newspapers with prominence and wide circulation in Nigeria as well as the online media platforms worldwide, including POINTBLANKNEWS, et al,.
“The sum of N5,000,000,000.00 being general, aggravated and exemplary damages against the Defendant for making and publishing the defamatory statements concerning the Claimant.”
Jackson Ude had published on his X handle formally known as Twitter, that Hon Ibrahim Dosara forged the Zamfara controversial document (the memo raised by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG Abubakar Nakwada and approved by the Gov Dauda Lawal Dare) for a humongous sum of money or a reconciliation project amounting to N1.3b which the government denied but accusing the opposition of mastermind of the memo.
He said in the suit, ” The statements made and published by the Defendant on his Verified XHANDLE (@jacksonpbn), and shared to other online media platforms worldwide including PointBlankNews, et al, on the 9th day of September, 2024, for the reading of the general public, concerning the Claimant which statements are libelous and defamatory of the claimant, in the manner reproduced with a bold caption thus: “MATAWALLE’S LACKEY, IBRAHIM DOSARA, WHO FORGED ZAMFARA DOCUMENTS TO IMPLICATE MEDIA PROFESSIONALS IN TERRORISM EXPOSED”
Under the above caption he (Defendant) made the following defamatory statements among others:
“Petty crook, an unintelligent propagandist who has refused to learn anything in his 66 years on earth.”
“He produced the fake Zamfara documents which alleged that myself, Sahara Reporters and others were paid millions as ‘Media Promoters’ to terrorists and bandits from Top Rank Hotels, Abuja.”
“Married with 12 children, Dosara, who received training from a United Nations funded training programs against Fake News, has been running the media, propaganda and fake news machinery for the Minister for State, Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, from the Top Rank Hotel, Area 11, Garki, Abuja, using the Hotel’s Wifi IP address:
62:88:8D:AD:7D:CA and Router with IP Address:10:10:20.1 to produce and disseminate fake documents.”
“Since he began running a campaign of calumny against anyone considered as an enemy of Matawalle, Dosara has
received cash payments close to N500million.”
Dosara received over “Between 2019 and 2023, N800million in cash payments from the Office of the State Governor from cash withdrawals from a UBA account number 1019753657, Zenith Bank account number 1017280841, and Guaranty Trust Bank account number 0216155676 for media and _ propaganda purposes.”
“Aside the production of fake documents, Dosara has been using the Top Rank Hotels as an operational base and residence to create fake organization where he develops Press Statements in praises of Matawalle or to attack anyone perceived as enemy of Matawalle.”
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