Musa Baba Adamu with agency report
A Federal High Court, Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Adamawa State, seeking protection against arrest, detention or prosecution by the police and others.
Justice James Omotosho, in a judgement he delivered on Friday, dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.
Justice Omotosho held that though Yunusa-Ari, in his fundamental rights enforcement suit, made an elaborate show by trying to shield himself from being arrested, detained or prosecuted by security agencies, there was no ground where such immunity could have been granted by the court.
The judge agreed with the respondents that the suspended REC derailed on his allegations when he claimed that the respondents subjected him to a media trial.
He observed that Yunusa-Ari also claimed that his fundamental right was breached by the respondents for posting negative information against him on social media, while insisting that he was not given fair hearing.
But Justice Omotosho held that the issue of fair hearing had nothing to do with publications of newsworthy matters by media practitioners in order not to fail in their responsibility of dissemination of information to the society.
He said: “News reported by the media is not a court of law and that the media, as the fourth estate of the realm, must be free to report at all times.”
Besides, he said the applicant had not shown that he was dragged to any court or tribunal but only claimed that the respondents engaged in a media trial against him.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the suspended REC had in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/563/2023, sued the Inspector-General of Police and Nigeria Police Force as 1st and 2nd respondents.
Also joined in the suit filed by his lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), include the Attorney-General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Director of age Department of State Services and INEC as 3rd to 5th respondents respectively.
