A legal Practitioner known as Barrister Peter A. Aki has petitioned the Inspector General of Police over what he described as a malicious libel and criminal defamation against the Vice -President, Kashim Shettima, and Managing Director of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Goni Mohammed Alkali, which is aimed at igniting political instability in the country.
The petition dated June 4, 2024 which was received by the IGP’s office on the 10th June 2024 and signed by the counsel and representatives of the concerned citizens group that represents the six states in the region.
Recall that three weeks ago, one Reverend Kallamu and Pastor Abdullahi, held a press conference in Abuja, alleging a N13 billion corruption allegation against the Managing Director of North East Development Commission (NEDC), Mohammed Goni Alkali, which they petitioned President Bola Tinubu.
The signatories in the petition to the IGP includes Barrister Peter A. Aki, representatives of North East Citizens from the six states among them are Barrister Atiku Isma’ilam; Gombe State; Alhaji Lawan Abdullahi Bauchi State; Mallam Murtala S. Danejo, Taraba State; Aliyu Mohammed, Yobe State; Engr. Awwal Hayatu Wakili Adamawa State and Abubakar Hussaini, Borno State.
They stated that the alleged libelous publications are capable of leading to break down of law and order.
The petitioners further claimed that the publications on various national dailies were false and with a view to disparage the Vice-President and the managing director of the NEDC in the eyes of right thinking persons, contrary to Nigerian Criminal and Penal Code Laws and a gross violation of their Right to Dignity of Human Person as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
“We hereby humbly request that you use your good offices to investigate this petition and take necessary actions as conferred on you and your office by law,” the petitioners said.
According to the petition, Our clients’ attention has been drawn to some recent malicious libelous publications sponsored by one Pastor Dr. Sani Abdullahi and Reverend Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa as leaders of an incongruous group parading themselves under a pseudonym as the Coalition of Civil Society Organisation against Corruption in Northerner Nigeria (COCSOCINN).
“As far as our clients have been able to decipher, there is no any registered group or association with this identity neither can they specifically point out as to who and who constitutes members of the group.”
