Court adjourns alleged defamatory suit against WikkiTimes online media – Mohd Kaka Misau, Bauchi
A legal suit filed by Al-Basar Foundation, the owner of Makkah hospital in Bauchi against WikkiTimes online media outlet before the Bauchi state High Court has been adjourned to 5th May, 2021 for further mention.
Adjourning the case, Justice Aliyu Baba Usman of the High court 4 also urged the two parties in the case to maintain status quo pending the determination of the court on the matter.
Our correspondent gathered that Al-Basar Foundation had dragged WikkiTimes to court over an investigative report it considers defamatory.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the adjournment, Counsel to the defendants, Barrister Safiyanu Gambo Idrees said that they have filed a memorandum of appearance out of time.
He said “ordinarily, you have eight days within which to enter your appearance and even when I was briefed it was already over eight days. So we supposed to file our memorandum of appearance informing the court that we are coming in to represent these particular parties”.
According to him, “since it is out of time, we ought to file a motion of extension of time, which we did and it has been granted, now the case is adjourned for further mention.
The lawyer noted that the extension of time will give an opportunity to the person representing the forth defendant to file her own as she has not file anything at the time the case was mentioned.
On his part, Barr. Kabiru Yusuf, counsel to the appellant said the case is between Al-Basar Foundation, the owner of Makkah hospital in Bauchi and four others, the publisher of WikkiTimes.
He said that the matter is coming up today for the first time and it is just for mentioning.
“We have mentioned it, we have entered the appearance and possibly we will join issues and the details of the matter will be open to the media”, he said.
On whether he will make further comment, Barr. Kabiru Yusuf said it will be prejudice for him to say anything much on the matter because it is pending before the court.
“But we are sure that we will get to the end of it”, he said.
