Alleged EFCC raids: Kaduna Hotel drags businessman to court over false information

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The management of Castle de White House Limited, Kaduna has filed a direct complaint at a Kaduna State Magistrate Court over alleged criminal and injurious falsehood by a Kaduna-based businessman, Mahdi Shehu.
This was contained in a statement made available to the media in Kaduna.
The statement stated that on February 24, Mr Shehu tweeted that N194 million in new notes and a POS machine with a cumulative balance of 300 million were recovered from agents of the All Progressives Congress, APC, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, during a raid on the hotel.
But the hotel, in a suit with a case number KMD/DC/2023, said the social media post by Mr Shehu has tarnished the image of the organization in the eyes of an average thinking member of the society.
The hotel, through its counsels Mas’ud Alabelewe and Aminu Hassan, argued that the defendant’s acts reveal offence of criminal defamation and injurious falsehood contrary to Sections 372, 373, and 374 of the Penal Code, Laws of Kaduna State 2017.
It said the application was brought pursuant to sections 103[3], 122A, and 123 [1] C] of the Kaduna State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2017.
“Kindly cause a criminal summons to be issued in favour of the above named complainant against the defendant mentioned above on the following terms.
“The complainant is a registered company with its office at No. 9 Kwato Road, Ungwan Rimi G.R.A Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court.
“That the defendant is a businessman, who resides at Ahmad Pategi Road Ungwan Sarki Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court.
“That sometimes around 24th day of February, 2023 the defendant through his Twitter handle, the defendant published injurious falsehood news to the effect that One Hundred and Ninety Four Million of new Naira Notes (N194, 000,000.00) and a POS Machines with cumulative balance of Three Hundred Million Naira [N300, 000,000.00] were recovered from the APC Presidential Agents that morning when EFCC Raided White De Castle Hotel located at No. 9 Kwato Road Ungwan Rimi GRA, Kaduna.
“That the dissemination of the above stated injurious falsehood by the defendant, which was published by the defendant in social media via his Twitter, was not true and which went viral on social media, which actually tarnished the reputation and image of the complainant in the eye of average thinking members of the society.
“Thus, the culminating acts of the defendant against the complainant, reveals the offenses of Criminal defamation, and injurious falsehood Contrary to Sections, 372, 373 and 374 of the Penal Code, Laws of Kaduna State 2017”.