…As absence of principal witness stalls court case
NOSA EGHAGHA
The legal battle between the Epoch Times New York, Kaduna Nigeria correspondent, Mr Luka Binniyat and the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna state, Mr Samuel Aruwan, has suffered a setback following inability of the prosecution’s principal witness to appear at the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna state on Tuesday.
Mr Luka Binniyat, who is also the Spokesman of Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAOU), who is being charged under cyber crimes act for cyber stalking as the basic allegation against him, also said Aruwan wanted him jailed.
When the case came up on Tuesday for continuation of hearing, the prosecution could not produce its last witness in court, “and the matter was adjourned to second week of August 2022, by the presiding Fderal High Court Judge, justice Mohammed Garba.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the session, Counsel to defendants Ehizogie Fedelis Imadojemu and Emmanuel Kolawole Atteh, said the parties involved in prosecution of Binniyat include the state Commissioner of internal security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, the State and Federal Government of Nigeria.
“The prosecution has alluded to the fact that they maybe forced to close their case if the last witness does not show up. So if they do, they’ll at that point, decide our next step in defense.
“The prosecution is the State, Attorney General of Kaduna State, although the party is the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The nominal complainant actually is Mr Samuel Aruwan,” Barrister Edojemu said.
Earlier, the defendant, Mr Binniyat, told journalist colleagues in an interview that he’s being prosecuted by Mr Samuel Aruwan over a story he reported sometimes last year, 2021, in Epoch Times New York, alleging that the story jeopardised the security of himself and that of his family.
“All the six trials I’m going through has got to do directly with the stories about the Southern Kaduna, described as genocide carried out on them by armed Fulani herdsmen.
“This is the sixth judge I’m facing under this regime. I’ve being in prison six times, in various notorious police detention centres, including CID Gabsawa Police Station.
“I’ve continuously been in trial since this government came into office since 2016 and a total of half a year spent in prison,” Binniyat alleged, saying he’s no longer feeling secured and all the time worried about the security of himself and his family too.
He added that “even though the Cyber stalking is a Federal Government Law, but Aruwan is the complainant and one who is seeking my imprisonment.”
