A Kano Chief Magistrate Court has ordered the police to launch a full-scale investigation into criminal charges filed against Jafar Jafar, publisher of Daily Nigerian, over alleged defamation.
The order directs the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone One, Kano, to handle the probe.
The case was brought by the Director General of Protocol at Kano Government House, Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, who accused Jafar and one Audu Umar of describing him as a “thieving aide” to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The matter came before Chief Magistrate Court No. 15 in Kano, presided over by Malam Abdul’aziz M. Habib, with the complaint filed under sections 106 and 107 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Kano State 2019, and sections 114, 164, and 393 of the Penal Code Law.
Reports at the center of the case
Rogo claimed his reputation was damaged by two separate Daily Nigerian publications dated 22nd and 25th August 2025.
One story alleged that the ICPC and EFCC traced ₦6.5 billion to his office, while the other carried the headline: “Gov. Yusuf Defends Thieving Aide, Says Protocol Directorate Under Ganduje Spent N20 Billion in 3 Months.”
According to the complaint, both reports were false, malicious, and meant to mislead the public into believing he was corrupt.
The DG Protocol is now seeking criminal prosecution of Jafar and Umar for defamation of character and breach of public peace.
The charges, filed on August 28, 2025, accuse the journalist of deliberately publishing defamatory material that injured the image of both Rogo and Governor Yusuf.
Court expands legal battle
Aside from the criminal complaint, a civil defamation case has also been filed at the Kano State High Court, where Rogo is seeking damages against Jafar Jafar and Daily Nigerian.
The Kano State Government had earlier reacted to the corruption allegations, dismissing them as baseless and politically motivated.
Officials described the reports as fiction aimed at blackmailing government functionaries.
Following the complaint, the Chief Magistrate ordered the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter, particularly why the journalist described a serving aide as a “thief” when investigations by anti-graft agencies were still ongoing.
