The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has threatened to initiate a defamation lawsuit against Kano State’s deputy governor, Aminu Gwarzo, regarding his statements in the ongoing Kano Emirship controversy.
Recall that the state Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, had accused Ribadu of assisting in the return of the deposed Emir to the city at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Gwarzo, in a brief video interview at the Emir’s palace in Gidan Rumfa, claimed that the NSA arranged for two aircraft to transport the sacked monarch to the state.
He said, “The National Security Adviser gave two jets to bring the dethroned emir to Kano and to bring him to the place. We have not understood their intention.”
In an interview with Premium Times on Saturday, the spokesperson of the NSA’s office, Zakari Mijinyawa, responded to the allegations, saying they were untrue.
Although he refuted the accusation on Saturday via his spokesperson, Mijinyawa, the NSA, as reported by Daily Trust, sent a letter through his legal representatives, Aliyu & Musa Chambers, demanding an apology from Gwarzo.
The lawyers pointed out that Ribadu, who had not faced any accusations of wrongdoing, was constantly bombarded with phone calls from individuals within and outside Nigeria concerning the unfounded allegations.
The NSA’s legal team insisted that the deputy governor must provide concrete evidence to support his allegations or retract his claims and apologize publicly within 24 hours; otherwise, their client, Ribadu, would pursue legal action.
The letter partly read, “We act as solicitors to Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who presently occupies the exalted position of the National Security Adviser (“our client”) and on whose instruction we write this letter.
“The attention of our client was drawn to a video clip being shared on different social media platforms wherein you granted an interview at Emir’s Palace in Kano on Saturday, the 25th day of May 2024, in a very calm atmosphere, and without any provocation whatsoever, falsely accusing our client of using his office to kill the people of Kano State and maim their properties. In the clip, you were shown to be talking in Hausa.
“Your false accusations against our client portraying his office as an appendage of a political party and a willing tool to cause chaos in Kano is false and done with the intention of damaging the hard-earned reputation of our client in the eyes of the right-thinking members of the society and indeed it has succeeded in doing so.
“In all the places he has served, our client has never been accused of any wrongdoing. Given this illustrious background, it is inconceivable that someone would harbour the thought that our client would descend his exalted office so low as to interfere in the local tussle of the Kano Emirate.
“The wide coverage you gave your interview has caused serious embarrassment to our client and his family. Since the publication, our client has been receiving a barrage of telephone calls both within and outside Nigeria from friends and associates who felt disappointed in him because of the false allegation from a person occupying the office of Deputy Governor of Kano State. Our client and his office take your allegations seriously and by this letter, our client is demanding that you provide irrefutable evidence to substantiate your claims.
“If you have no proof, our client demands you to within 24 hours: retract the libellous allegation in a similar manner you made it as well as give it wide media circulation” and “issue a public apology in five National dailies with wide national coverage and on popular online platforms. Note that if you fail to do so, our client will be compelled to seek redress in a court of law.”
In the past few days, there has been growing momentum among concerned citizens and stakeholders nationwide surrounding the claim to the Kano Emir’s throne.
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