Nigerian News Leader
First with details then facts 
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief)@CeleOkaf11
The National Chairman of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has said that all Nigerians should turn to God and seek his mercy for a solution to our challenges.
By Suzan Okenwa (Senate Correspondent, NASS)
Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has called on Nigerians to imbibe the attitude of love, which he described as the core essence and message of Christmas.
By Chinwendu Agoha (Governance Reporter)
Following the timely passage of the 2021 Appropriation Bill by the National Assembly on Tuesday, the Buhari Media Organization (BMO) has commended the synergy between the Executive and the Legislature in the quick passage of the budget.
By Chinwendu Agoha (Governance Reporter)
The Buhari Media Organization (BMO) has tackled a British-based business newspaper, the Financial Times of London, for publishing in its editorial comments that Nigeria is close to becoming a failed state, describing it as incorrect and a gross misrepresentation of the country situation.
By Musa Ubandawaki (Sokoto State Correspondent)
After going into self-isolation due to his close and physical contact with personalities who have tested positive for Covid-19 during his recent official trips, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, says he was finally tested and found to be negative for Coronavirus.
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief)@CeleOkaf11
At least three thousand individuals with small and medium scale businesses in Kebbi State would receive Federal Government’s post-COVID-19 grant in order to enhance their business activities.
By Musa Ubandawaki (Sokoto State Correspondent)
The indispensability of the environment in driving development and advancement of any given society prompted the 3rd National Colloquium to convene a virtual online National Colloquium with the theme “Sustainable Environment as a Critical Enabler of National Development".
By Chinwendu Agoha (Governance Reporter)
The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has described the congratulatory message from the Secretary-General of the United Nations to President Muhammadu Buhari following the rescue of the 344 Kankara Schoolboys as inspirational.
By Mahmoud Dogara (Bauchi State Correspondent)
As part of efforts to ensure a hitch-free celebration of the Yuletide season, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Zone 12 comprising of Bauchi, Yobe and the Borno States, has said it has deployed no fewer than 1,300 Officers and Men for the effective conduct of the operation.
By Musa Ubandawaki (Sokoto State Correspondent)
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, has described the death of the pioneer Military Governor of the defunct North-Western State, retired Police Commissioner, Alhaji Usman Faruk, as a colossal loss to Nigeria.
By Musa Ubandawaki (Sokoto State Correspondent)
Following his official trips in the past few days, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has come in close contact with some personalities, some of whom have tested positive for COVID-19, and was medically advised to self-isolate.
By Our Correspondent
A renowned human rights lawyer, Barr. Joni Icheka, has dragged the dismissed former Chairman of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NgCC) and the President of the Copyright Society of Nigeria Ltd/GTE (COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji, to court over defamatory publications.
The plaintiff, who is a senior civil servant at the NgCC, is asking the court to award N500m to him as general damages and the equivalent sum of money as special damages for the alleged civil wrongs caused against him by COSON, Chief Okoroji and Dr. Jaja, jointly and severally, for the said publication.
According to Barr. Icheka, in suit no CV/3398/2020, the defendants had on September 15th, 2020, and addressed to Dr. Jaja, who was then the Chairman of the Governing Council of NgCC, that the plaintiff is a co-defendant in the on-going trial in a purported N7 billion fraud alongside Mr. Kenny Martins, for his alleged role in the forgery of documents that were used in defrauding the Nigerian Police Equipment Fund.
The plaintiff disclosed that the defendants in the libelous publication claimed that the Director-General of the NgCC, "concealed this critical information from the Governing Board and deceived the board to approve the appointment of Barr. Icheka".
The plaintiff further asserted that the defendants forwarded petitions containing this false information to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice (AGF) Mohammed Adolescent, SAN; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geofrey Onyeama; the Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau, and the Chairman, ICPC.
He said such petition with criminal invitations and widely circulated to the above listed, and also to all members of the Governing Council of NgCC, staff members of the parastatal, other persons and institutions, including the D-G NgCC, without verification as to the veracity of the allegations made against him, "constitutes libel" as it has impacted negatively on his employment and put him on the harm's way as a breadwinner of his family.
Icheka exhibited Charge No: CR/267/18 referred to by the defendants, pending before Justice Modupe Adebiyi of the FCT High Court, to prove that the statements of the defendants were false in their entirety.
On the contrary, Icheka stated that he was a lawyer to a defendant in the said criminal charge and wondered how he transformed to an accused in that matter.
"The claimant avers that the defendants exhibited utter callousness and negligence in the publication and circulation of the false information by failing to act with a reasonable level of care in simply cross-checking their source of the false information abnitio, having regard to the existence of the Open Court Registry and the EFCC who is a sister government agency from which the defendants could have cross-checked and authenticated their information prior to publication or republication of the false petition".
He maintains that by the said publication, the defendants adversely affected his current employment and his future chances of advancing to the very top echelon in the public service. He also claims that career people, including his colleagues, now see him as "a dubious person of low quality and who is morally bankrupt and should not be trusted by all and sundry".
Icheka attached a certified true copy of the charge sheet alluded to, filed by Festus Keyamo, SAN, on June 20th, 2018; affidavit of completion of investigation filed with the charge sheet sworn to by Allu Dauda, an Inspector of Police; list of witnesses in the referenced charge; the Case Summary; the libelous petition addressed to the NgCC Governing Board and signed by Dr. Jaja; petition by COSON written on their instruction by White Dove Solicitors; petition to the D-G NgCC against Icheka by Dr. Jaja; petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on Mr. Icheka, and several other petitions written against Icheka.
In asking for N1 billion as damages, the plaintiff further asked the court to direct the defendants to tender a formal apology to be published in three national newspapers as well as the order for perpetual injunction against them again further publishing of defamatory materials against the plaintiff. NNL.
