Justice Zainab Abubakar of Abuja High Court has remanded a journalist and publisher of an online medium, CrossRiverWatch, Agba Jalingo, at the Medium Security Custodial Center in Kuje, for publishing scandal bordering on Mrs. Alami Elizabeth Ayade, the wife of the younger brother to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, Mr. Frank Ayade.
CrossRiverWatch had queried reason suspended staff of the University of Calabar, Paschal Aboh is standing trial for allegedly impersonating a student of the Nigerian Law School, Abuja campus why Mrs Ayade, it reported contracted the accused is not answering any charge.
In the report, the publication said on request to fact check its source’s account from the Council of Legal Education, the latter ignored its application.
On her part after the publication, Mrs Ayade denied commissioning the suspect, demanded apology, retraction and N500m in damages.
Her resort to court on defamation and cyber bullying grounds ensured Jalingo’s arraignment on Monday, with the publisher’s lead counsel, Marshal Abubakar not in court on time.
His arrival midway into the proceeding caused the bail motion he moved for his client in a way to fall through.
According to Justice Abubakar while ordering Jalingo’s detention and adjourning the case to March 30, in her record, Marshal was not in court.
