A Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State on the 7th february 2023 has sentenced the Editor and Correspondent of News digest (an online news medium), Gidado Shuaib and Alfred Oluyemi to 5 months imprisonment or a fine of 100,000 each on a case of two count charge of Conspiracy and Defamation of Character filed by Hillcrest Agro- Allied Industries Limited, Amberi village Kwara State.
Senior Magistrate A.S Muhammed stated that, the rulling on the case with file number MCIA/674C/2019 was in connection with his reflection on the provisions of Criminal justice Law(2018), as well as section 417(2)d of the Kwara State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2018.
Hillcrest Agro Allied Company Limited had through Samson Adedotun(a staff of the Company) written a petition to the Commisioner of Police, Kwara State Command on alleged Libelous Publication tagged ‘Kwara Factory where Indian hemp smoking is legalised’ published on the 26th March 2018 by the two defendants which was described as malicious and character assassination aimed at denting the reputation of good standing of the Company as well years of Mutually beneficial relationship with Foreign Investors.
The kwara State Police Command, however, through sgt. Ayodele, a Police Officer and investigating Police Officer attached to the State Criminal Investigation and intelligence department (CIID) upon investigation, prosecuted the duo owing to their acknowledgement and admissibilty of the Libelous Publication with no substantial evidence.
The statement issued by Fernandez Raheem, Technical Assistant to the MD/CEO of Hillcrest AgroAllied Industries Limited states that, “please be informed that Hillcrest AgroAllied Company Limited is soley responsible for the
article above”.
“That the artice was published after a court of competent jurisdiction under Senior Magistrate
A.S Muhammed of the Kwara State judicial division ruled on the matter on the 7th day of
February2023, with case fie MCA/674C/2109 bothering on a two count charge of Conspiracy
and Defamation of character filed by Hill Crest Agro Allied Limited against Messrs Gidado
Shuaib and Afred Ouyemi of News Digest.The duo was found culpabe and were sentenced
to five months imprisonment or a fine of 100,000 each”.
“Whie this publication is not to witch hunt, harass or intimidate any Person, group of Persons
or Entity, it was borne out of the desire to correct the malicious damage the said publication
has created, and for the sake of emphasis that Hillcrest does not, and will never engage in any
illegal venture, now, or in the nearest future”, Raheem concluded.
