BCO’s N40m libel suit against Atiku for hearing June 20

An FCT High Court in Apo has fixed June 20, for hearing in the suit filed by the Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) seeking N40 million damages against the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for alleged libelous claims against President Muhammadu Buhari.

BCO had told the court that Atiku defamed President Buhari by claiming that the president and members of his family owned substantial shares in 9mobile and Keystone Bank.

The organisation’s Director of Communication and Strategic Planning, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, stated in the claimant’s witness statement that Atiku and his media aide allegedly engaged in smear campaign of calumny against Buhari by willfully allowing and sponsoring the said purported defamatory statements to be published by some newspapers to members of the public.

The president’s support group is praying the court for a declaration that “the 1st Defendant (Shaibu) on behalf and for the 2nd Defendant (Atiku) neglectfully, unlawfully and recklessly permitted and caused to be published in newspapers defamatory and damaging statements against the 1st Plaintiff (President Buhari).

However, in a counter motion, Atiku asked the court to strike out the suit, even as he sought for an order compelling President Buhari to pay him damages in the sum of N200bn.

But the BCO told the court that Atiku’s counter-claim in which he challenged President Buhari’s capacity and performance in office as president could only be sustained in a separate suit.

In its defence to Atiku’s counter claim, the BCO said the PDP presidential candidate’s counter-claim cannot be taken along with the substantive suit.

Counsel to BCO, Barr. Abdulrazaq Ahmed, told the court that Atiku must provide documentary evidence to substantiate claims that President Buhari and his family acquired substantial shares in 9mobile and Keystone Bank with total assets of $1.916bn (equivalent to N307.5bn), as well as purchasing about N3bn worth of shares in the new Pakistani Islamic Bank.

The trial judge, Justice Binta Mohammed thereafter fixed June 20 for hearing on all the motions on notice.