A businessman in Adamawa State has been remanded in prison custody for allegedly calling the state governor a thief.
The businessman, Ali Yakubu, is being accused of calling Governor Ahmadu Fintiri “the father of all thieves.”
Ali Yakubu, who was brought before Magistrate Japhet Basani of Chief Magistrate Court II sitting in Yola on Monday, was sent to a Correctional Center for ridiculing Fintiri on social media.
He was charged with publishing insulting and denigrating statements in Hausa and Fulfulde against Fintiri on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 17th, 20th and 29th July, 2021 respectively on his Facebook page.
He described Governor Fintiri as a thief, a father of all thieves in Nigeria who stole indomie, spaghetti and billions of naira.
A statement of complaint by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Afraimu Jingi said the action of the defendant generated tension in the State.
When the complaint was read and interpreted to the defendant, he admitted that he had indeed insulted Governor Fintiri.
Counsel to the complainant, M.A. Adamu, prayed the court to adjourn the matter to enable him assemble witnesses to corroborate the plea entered by the defendant.
In his ruling on the application, Magistrate Basani ordered the remand of the defendant at a correctional center, and adjourned the case to the 11th August, 2021.
