Plateau
State Governor, Mr. Jonah Jang, has dragged his predecessor, Senator
Joshua Dariye, before the court. The governor is demanding a N10bn
compensation for libel and defamation of character.
Joined in the suit is Beacon Newspapers, published in Jos, the state capital.
In a suit filed at Jos High Court, Jang,
through his counsel, Sunday Odey, averred that Dariye had, in a
newspaper interview, libelled him by calling him a serial thief, who,
along with his children and business associates, had been milking the
state treasury dry.
Jang is contending that in the
publication, published on June 2, 2013, the defendant had said, among
others that, “Jang is the most corrupt human being you are yet to know.
He has used religion and I want to be quoted, Jang is very corrupt. The
author of corruption starts with Jang and ends with him. In fact, Jang
can be described as the House of Eli. Eli’s children were carting away
offerings brought to the alter—sacred sacrifices.”
In the writ of summons, a copy of which
was obtained by our correspondent in Jos on Wednesday, Jang said the
words published and circulated by the defendants touched on his
integrity and were libellous, and therefore defamatory to him and his
reputation as the Governor of Plateau state.
Jang, in a statement of claim, averred
that the publication meant that he was not capable of leadership and
grossly incompetent as the governor of Plateau State and that he had an
unforgiving spirit, among others.
PUNCH
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