The Chief Magistrate Court 24 in Gyadi-Gyadi, Kano State has directed the office of the assistant inspector-general of police (AIG) for Zone One to conduct to investigate an alleged case of criminal assault by the House of Representatives member representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa.
The court’s directive was at the instance of the complaint brought before the court by the Kano State Correspondent of LEADERSHIP Newspapers, Abdullahi Yakubu, through his counsel, Bashir, Umar & Co. Legal Practitioners and Corporate Consultant.
In a letter addressed to the AIG dated 1st November, 2022 and signed by the registrar of the court, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Kano, reads in part, “I am directed by the Presiding Chief Magistrate Court 24, A.B. Wali Complex, Gyadi-Gyadi, Kano, to write and request you, to conduct a discrete investigation against House of Representatives member representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency, Alhassan Ado Doguwa.
“Upon lodging direct complaint before the court by the counsel to the complainant, Bashir, Umar and Co. Malam Abdullahi Yakubu of Sharada Quarters. Attached herewith is the copy of the complaint,” the letter said.
In the letter, the counsel to the complainant said, “We act as solicitors to Malam Abdullahi Yakubu of Sharada Quarters, Kano Municipal (hereinafter referred to as our client) pursuant to his specific mandate and instruction we write to you this letter of complaint.
“It’s our humble brief that our client is professional journalist working with LEADERSHIP Newspaper here in Kano acting as Kano Bureau Chief LEADERSHIP Newspaper.
“That on 1st November, 2022, our client together with some of his professional colleagues were at the residence of the above-mentioned member of House of Representatives, based on his invitation for him to clear his name through our media on trending story on social media accusing him of assaulting the former commissioner for local government and deputy governorship candidate of APC (Murtala Sale Garo) in the state.
“However, it was in the process of his narration concerning the episode at the deputy governor’s house where the incident between him and Murtala Sule Garo took place that he became so provoked to the extent that he vowed to send his boys to destroy all the billboards and banners belonging to Gwawuna/Garo for governorship and deputy governor.
“On noticing how he became furious, our client then took the bull by the horn to beg him not to take the law by his own hand instead of him to listen to our client and act appropriately he used his right hand and gave our client a deadly blow on his right ear.
“In fact, since then our client lost his good health. Our client encountered serious problems with his eardrums, tempanic membrane, excessive headache, general body pain and many more are some of the health issues our client is facing now.
“In view of the foregoing, we urge you sir to order the office of AIG Zone One Kano to investigate the case and bring the said Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa to justice.”
When contacted by LEADERSHIP yesterday, Doguwa, who is the majority leader of the House denied ever assaulting Yakubu.
Doguwa vehemently denied the allegation, saying nothing could have warranted an altercation between him and the journalist.
He said, “I want to confirm to you that before God and man, it never happened. I never assaulted anyone of them in my house. I cannot even remember when I had an issue with the reporter. A reporter that I invited to my house and I will not assault him, for what? And there was no question fielded at the event, I spoke alone. I just cannot remember that there was an issue that could have warranted me to assault a reporter, someone who belongs to the same noble profession that I was trained for, it is very unfortunate and sad,” Doguwa said.
He, however, challenged Yakubu to provide evidence to buttress his claim.
“All of them were there, and other journalists said they didn’t know when it happened.”
When asked if he was familiar with the reporter, Doguwa said, “I don’t know him, he said he used to be my friend, he even said he was my colleague in the university, but I didn’t know him. I have only had a cause to interact with him, just like any other pressman, maybe at press conferences and other media engagements, but I have never had any personal or individual relationship with him. I cannot even remember or imagine that it happened. Let him produce the evidence, either audio or video, I have already handed everything over to my lawyer,” he added.
The House leader had earlier in a statement refuted the allegation that he was invited for questioning on the orders of a Magistrate Court in Kano and that he should report to the AIG Kano Zone 1 over an alleged attack on a journalist.
Doguwa stated that he has not received any invitation from the Police or a Magistrate. As a law-abiding citizen of the country, I am willing and ready to honour any invitation by the court or the Police.
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