₦6.5 Billion Scandal Allegation: Jaafar Jaafar Dragged to Court as Lawyers, Rights Groups Raise Concerns

By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar | Katsina Times

A Magistrate Court in Nomansland, Kano, has directed the police to investigate allegations of defamation filed against the publisher of Daily Nigerian, Jaafar Jaafar, and his colleague, Audu Umar.

The case was instituted by Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, Director of Planning at the Kano State Government House, who accused the journalists of publishing defamatory reports labeling him as a “thieving aide” to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

Presiding Magistrate Abdul’aziz M. Habib gave the order, noting that there was a need to establish the truth behind the publications—particularly after the Kano State Government denied claims of diverting ₦6.5 billion from state coffers into private accounts.

The lawsuit has stirred controversy within political and civic circles, with media and human rights advocates warning against the use of the courts as instruments to intimidate investigative journalists.

Prominent human rights lawyer, Barrister Abba Hikima Fagge, described the trial as a deliberate attempt to silence the press rather than a pursuit of justice.

“When government turns the courts into a weapon to suppress truth, it signals failure and governance collapse. What is being done to Jaafar Jaafar is not justice but an attempt to deny citizens their right to know,” he said.

Jaafar, widely known for his bold investigative reports, made headlines in 2018 when he released a video showing former Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, allegedly stuffing bundles of dollar notes into his pockets—a scandal that sparked national outrage.

The fresh lawsuit against him has reignited debates over the shrinking space for press freedom in Nigeria, particularly for journalists exposing corruption in government.

Observers say all eyes are now on the court’s next steps, as rights groups and press freedom advocates continue urging the Kano State Government to refrain from weaponising the judiciary against critical voices.