KADUNA COURT MOVES TO SUMMON JOURNALISTS OVER ALLEGED THREAT, DEFAMATION AGAINST ISLAMIC SCHOLAR
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
A Chief Magistrate Court in Kaduna State has been asked to issue criminal summons against two journalists, George Udom and Bello Isiaka, over alleged conspiracy, attempted incitement of public disturbance and criminal defamation.
Court documents filed at the Chief Magistrate Court sitting on Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kaduna, show that the application was brought by Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Gummi, an Islamic scholar, through his legal representatives.
The application, dated December 24, 2025, seeks the issuance of a criminal direct complaint summons against the defendants following a social media publication allegedly made on December 23, 2025. According to the filing, the defendants are accused of publishing a “breaking news” statement on their Facebook pages which allegedly linked the complainant to a threat directed at the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
The controversial publication reportedly suggested that if the Minister of Defence did not halt military operations against bandits, members of his family in Southern Kaduna would be targeted. The complainant alleged that the publication was widely circulated alongside his photograph, leading many members of the public to believe that he authored or issued the statement.
The court document further claimed that the publication triggered numerous calls to the complainant and portrayed him as attempting to intimidate or influence a public servant in the discharge of his official duties. It also alleged that the report falsely depicted him as a troublemaker capable of causing unrest in Kaduna State.
According to the application, the complainant argued that the publication damaged his reputation as a cleric known for preaching peace in Nigeria and beyond, and potentially exposed him to danger by presenting him as a prime suspect should any security breach occur in Southern Kaduna.
The alleged offences were said to be contrary to Sections 59, 57, 372, 116 and 117 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State, 2017.
The application was signed by a team of lawyers led by Suleiman Danlami Lere, Esq., alongside Ibrahim Ahmad, I.H. Yahya and Saratu Nura Hassan, acting as solicitors to the complainant.
As of press time, the court had received the application, while no date had been fixed for the defendants to appear. The defendants have yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
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