In a long-standing legal case, Gidado Shuaib and Olufemi Alfred have been sentenced to three months imprisonment by a Magistrate court in Ilorin, Kwara state.
The convicts were arraigned on a First Information Report in November 2019 for charges of criminal conspiracy and defamation, as stated by sections 97 and 392 of the penal law.
The charges were brought against them following a petition filed by Hillcrest Agro-Allied Industries Limited, a rice production company located at Kilometre 4, Ajase-Ipo road, Amberi village, Kwara state, over a published article in News Digest titled “Inside Kwara factory where Indian hemp is legalized.”
The petitioner alleged that the article portrayed their company as a place where workers freely smoke Indian hemp, causing significant financial and reputational damages.
The petitioner stated that the article, published in June 2018, resulted in the denial of a $10,000,000 loan facility by a funding partner in the United Arab Emirates called Arab Group, as well as the loss of a $250,000 deposit.
After a legal battle spanning five years, Magistrate A.S. Muhammad delivered judgment on the matter, stating that he had carefully considered the evidence and the provisions of the Kwara state administration of criminal justice law, 2018.
In compliance with the provisions of the law, the magistrate sentenced the 1st and 2nd convicts to a fine of N40,000 each or 2 months imprisonment in default of payment for the offense of conspiracy, and a fine of N60,000 each or 3 months imprisonment in default of payment for defamation.
The total fine for both offenses is N100,000 each, and the sentences shall run concurrently.
The convicts have the right to appeal within 30 days.
