NAN-H-85
Character
Abuja, Jan. 24, 2017 (NAN) A 42-year-old man, Fred Nnamdi, on Tuesday appeared before a Wuse Zone 2 Chief Magistrate’s Court, Abuja, charged with defamation of character.
The defendant, a resident of Apo resettlement, Abuja is facing a one-count charge of allegedly defaming the character of one Hassan Abubakar.
According to the prosecutor, Asa Oyeyemi, Abubakar, of Supreme Court, Abuja reported the case at the Wuse Police station on Dec. 22, 2016.
He alleged that the defendant wrote a petition to the Deputy Inspector General of Police and EFCC, where he defamed the character of the complainant.
“In the letter, the defendant stated that the complainant collected N1,050,000 from him as part payment for the purchase of an apartment in Nyanya.
“The defendant also called the complainant a fraudster; but during police investigation, it was discovered that there was no document to prove that the complainant collected money from the defendant.
“Investigation revealed that the defendant paid the said money to the complainant’s friend, who is the owner of the apartment for sale, and is now deceased.”
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 392 of the Penal Code.
The defendant however pleaded not guilty to the charge leveled against him.
The magistrate, Mohammed Tahir, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N250,000 with one surety in like sum.
Tahir ordered that the surety must be a civil servant resident within the jurisdiction of the court, and adjourned the matter to Feb. 21, for hearing.(NAN)
UMD/HS/ETS
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Edited by Halima Sheji and Ephraims Sheyin
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