‘We’ll Meet In Court’-Ex Commissioner Dares Borno State Govt Over N2 Billion Libel Suit

By Danlami Nmodu
Former Commissioner of Information ,Mr Inuwa Bwala has vowed to meet the Borno State Government which has filed a libel suit against him and his newspaper,National Trail in court .
When Newsdiaryonline.com contacted Mr Bwala for his reaction to the suit filed against him , he said “We’ll meet in the court.”
Bwala said further “It is one thing to sue me and it is another to prove that what I wrote were not true”.That is an indication he is not prepared to tender any apology as demanded.
Earlier the Borno State Government said it has filed a two billion naira libel suit against its former Commissioner for Information,Mr Bwala and a Newspaper belonging to him, National Trail over a publication it claims has grossly defamed the reputation of the Government, its officials in addition to attempts to unjustly incite the public against the Government to attract breach of public peace.
“The G‎overnment is also seeking seeking a court injunction restraining both Inuwa Bwala and National trail either by themselves, agents , servant privies or anybody acting on their behalf, from further publishing any malicious publication against the Borno State Government, any of its establishments or its officials pending the hearing and final determination of the suit subjudice before the court among other reliefs sought by the plaintiff. The action was filed pursuant to relevant rules of Borno state high court 2014”. ‎
As a starting point, a private legal firm contracted by the State Government has written to Mr Bwala and his Newspaper, demanding an apology published on the front page of subsequent edition of National Trail which must also be aired on an International network break fast show of the African Independent Television which aired the libelous publication in its Newspaper headlines of Monday, June 30, 2014 at about 8am and also on five National Newspapers within seven days; failure of which the Government will move on to sue both Bwala and his Newspaper for a claim of two billion naira as damages.
In a letter dated July 2, 2014, addressed and dispatched last week to the two defendants, through a registered postal service, principal counsel in the legal firm, Barrister Hussaini Hala said sacking of Mr Bwala by the Borno State Government clearly influenced his paper’s bias and complete fabrication of falsehoods with highly malicious headlines, titled “Operatives trail Borno’s looted billions; Shettima moves to save investigation, Gov’s cronies fingered in corruption and terror financing; Alleged sex scandals, drugs rock cabinet” splashed on the front page and page 4 of National Trail weekly, edition of Monday June 30 –Sunday, July 6, 2014, Vol 002, No 0043.
The lawyer said Bwala and his paper had one week to respond to his letter with publicized apology otherwise procedures will be immediately followed to file dispatch document used in sending him the demand letter in order to proceed with litigation against him and his Newspaper in a court of law so he could provide in controvertible evidence to proof the published allegations.
The Government’s counsel had last week obtained a search report from the corporate affairs commission which confirmed that Trail Publications Limited (publishers of the Newspapers) with registration number 99652169 and head office in Abuja; has four directors that include Bwala Inuwa, Ndahi Sanusi, Mamman Idris and Amanzah Yusuf while the company has five million share capital. Based on the report, the State Government joined Bwala as principal actor in the suit proceedings.‎