President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday finally withdrew the six counts of felony charges he instituted against the Leadership Newspaper and two of its reporters, Tony Amokeodo and Chibuzor Ukaibe.
The six-count charge of alleged conspiracy, forgery and false publication of a presidential directive was filed against the newspaper and the reporters after they were earlier arrested by the Nigeria Police Force.
The withdrawal of the suit followed a notice dated April 30 and filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, indicating the Federal Government’s desire to discontinue with it. The notice was issued to the court through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
Signed by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) on behalf of the AGF and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), the notice stated: “Take notice that the complainant, the Hon. Attorney General of the Federation, intends that the criminal proceedings consisting six-count charge against the accused persons, Tony Amokeodo, Chibuzor Ukaibe, LEADERSHIP group Ltd, be discontinued and the six counts against them are hereby withdrawn.”
The notice by the government is coming on the heels of a preliminary objection filed by counsel to the journalists, Femi Falana (SAN) challenging the competence of the charge and the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear and determine the complaint.
While this was on, the newspaper maintained its stand that the report and the document were authentic. It said it stood by its report.
It is believed that the visit of Femi Falana to the president some days ago may have facilitated the government’s withdrawal of the suit. Falana had refused to speak on the visit or his discussion with the president.
It would be recalled that the newspaper reporters were arrested after their report claimed that the president had ordered the targeting of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his business empire in the build-up to the 2015 general elections. The alleged directive also stated the government’s desire to remove subsidy from petroleum products but that it must first consider the feelings of the people. The residency denied the allegation and claimed that the document was fake.
The arrest and detention of the reporters had resulted in widespread condemnation of the government action, as local and international groups saw it as government’s attempt to muzzle the press.
To further dent the country’s record, a survey released on Thursday morning by an international media advocacy organisation, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), depicted Nigeria as the second most dangerous country for journalists after Somalia.
“Rocked by militants in the North and politically inspired aggression nationwide, Nigeria has become one of the worst nations in the world for deadly, unpunished violence against the press,” the report stated.
