Senator Kanti Bello drags PDP chieftain to court over defamation

The Katsina Upper Shari’a court Two has fixed November 12 for the hearing of a suit filed by Senator Mahmud Bello against a PDP chieftain, Alhaji Bala Ingawa, for defamation of character and insult.
This followed a prayer for adjournment by counsel to the defendant, Mr A. B. K. Nasir, to allow him prepare for the defence on the two-count charge.
The judge, Alkali Bala,  in his ruling, said the adjournment had become necessary, since both parties unanimously reached the agreement.
Earlier, counsel for Senator Kanti Bello, Mr Sadau Garba, said the case was filed before the court to seek legal redress against Ingawa
Garba recalled that on October 5, the defendant accused the plaintiff of being a thief in an interview aired on the Voice of America (VOA) radio (Hausa service), calling his client a sycophant (butulu), who siphoned all the constituency allowances given to him while serving as senator.
According to Garba, the defendant also accused Kanti of converting all monies given to him by late President,  Musa Yar’adua, for some contracts he had allegedly failed to execute, and false claims by his client to have constructed the Dan-na-kola bridge from the constituency allowances.
The counsel explained that the accused also said President Goodluck Jonathan was aware of Senator Kanti’s atrocities but has kept mute. Garba added that his resolve to file the case before the court was to seek legal redress.