Court Fixes Nov. 17 for Final Addresses in Defamation Suit

An Iwo Road Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, on Wednesday, fixed Nov. 17, for adoption of final written addresses in a defamation case leveled against Abraham Joseph, a staff of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN),Ibadan.

The defendant, Joseph, is facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, breach of public peace and publication of defamatory materials against Prof. Olushola Adepoju, former Director-General of FRIN. 

Senior Magistrate T.B Oyekanmi adjourned the matter to the date after the defendant’s Counsel, Mr Adekoya Adebayo, called his last witness, Mr Adewoye Austin and informed the court of his intention to close his case.

Adebayo had earlier led the witness in evidence in court during the hearing of the case on Wednesday.

Austin, who informed the court that he was the Vice Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Research Institutes at FRIN, said the union nominated the defendant and others to address a press conference on issues of non-remittances and accelerated promotion at FRIN during Adepoju’s tenure.

The witness said that the defendant was the only one issued query, transfered and later dismissed by FRIN management over the interview granted to Sahara reporters and other media organisations.

“The defendant was later reinstated by the board after investigation on the interview and he was exonerated,” he said.

Austin, during cross-examination by the Prosecution Counsel, Mrs Aminat Muhammad-Akinola, admitted that the civil service rules stipulates obedience to superior, saying no permission was obtained from FRIN management before conducting interview while Adepoju was still the DG

He further admitted that Adepoju wasn’t the one that deducted the money of members of staff and didn’t remit it, but FRIN did.

“The money that were deducted from staff salary, for cooperative, union dues and others initially were later remitted to the beneficiaries after some years and Adepoju’s name didn’t bear the sender,” he said.

It would be recalled that the prosecutor had informed the court that the defendant and others now at large, allegedly conspired with Sahara Reporters, an online medium, to publish a defamatory article against the  former Director-General of FRIN.

She further alleged that intention of the defendant by the publication was to tarnish Adepoju’s reputation and cause breach of public peace at the institute, knowing that the publication was false and could led to civil unrest within and outside the country.

The prosecutor said the incident happened on June 29, 2021 at about 2.00 p.m, adding that the offences contravened Sections 517, 375 and 249(d) of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.