…Desert Herald publication defamed against the SSG who the medium assumed denied them a contract with the Adamawa State Government…
A Yola High Court has ordered Desert Herald, operating both as tabloid and online media, to pay the Secretary to the Government (SSF) Adamawa State, Malam Bashiru Ahmad N10 million as damages over libelous publication.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Nathan Musa, the Chief Judge of Adamawa adjudicated that the publication by Desert Herald on the 25th of August 2020 tagged ”Larai and Adamawa SSG Connection” was defamatory.
After cross-examination of the evidence presented by the witnesses, Justice Musa fined Desert Herald ten million naira as damages and ordered the retraction of the publication, as well as an apology to Mallam Ahmed within seven days.
The counsel to the SSG, Barrister Akamode Aboyemi says the Desert Herald weekly Magazine, published the defamatory publication against his client after failing to secure a contract with the Adamawa State Government and assumed they were denied the contract by the SSG, Mallam Bashiru Ahmed.
He said denting the image of a man known as a true democrat and the engine room of the Fintiri administration propelled them to approach the court to seek justice.
He added that before approaching the court, his client has instructed him to seek retraction of the story and apology of what is now an affirmed defamatory story which he did, but the request landed on deaf ears.
Desert Herald has earlier before the court denied publishing the story claiming the said story is not found in their publication of 25th August 2020, however, forgot to delete it from their website five months after the case was filed against it which has served as strong evidence against the defendant.
Herald Desert had accused the Secretary to the Adamawa State Government of having a dirty relationship with Fadimatu Mohammad Larai asking if she is just a politician or a mistress.