A Kano Magistrate Court on Tuesday granted Muktar Dahiru, a staff member of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Pyramid FM, Kano, a N1 million bail bond.

Dahiru, who is standing trial on a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, defamation of character, and intentional insults, was remanded in a correctional facility on Thursday upon arraignment.

At the resumption of the hearing on the bail application on Tuesday, Magistrate Ummah Kurawa admitted the defendant to bail with conditions to produce three reliable sureties: the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the defendant’s wife, and a reputable elderly man not less than 65 years of age.

Part of the conditions attached to the last surety, according to the Court, remains that the 65-year-old elderly man must also ensure that the defendant will not publish anything injurious to the person of the complainant.

The case has been adjourned to 2nd October 2024 for a hearing on the charges. The alleged offenses contravene sections 97, 391, and 115 of the Kano State Penal Code Law.

Dahiru was allegedly dragged to court and subsequently remanded at the correctional centre for sharing media content deemed critical of state government officials, including Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the reinstated Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.

It was also reported by some online platforms that Dahiru, said to be a journalist, is being prosecuted by the government after he used his personal social media handle to criticise Governor Yusuf on cases of corruption and other mismanagement of public resources.

However, the complainant, Anas Dala, who formerly served as a special adviser to the immediate past administration in Kano, explained that he took the bold step to drag Dahiru to court over defamation of his character.

According to Dala, the defendant used his social media handle to address him as an adulterer and a wayward son who abandoned an 85-year-old mother hawking on the street.

Dala also alleged that Dahiru defamed his character by accusing him of impregnating a lady and disrespecting the Vice President, Kashim Shettima.

The complainant, however, described as false and baseless the media report accusing the Kano state government of jailing a journalist. He insisted that he dragged Dahiru to court to reclaim his integrity and image under threat.