MORE THAN 100,000 CHILDREN HAVE BEEN DISPLACED BY THE LATEST ESCALATION IN EASTERN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, UNICEF SAID ON SUNDAY, WARNING THE NUMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO RISE AS VIOLENCE SPREADS.(PHOTO).
The Kano State High Court on Wednesday granted an interim order restraining Sahara Reporters, Mikiya Communications, activist Omoyele Sowore, and several other media organisations from further publishing or circulating reports linking the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, to terrorist groups.
The ex-parte order was issued in Suit No. K/745/2025 following an application filed by Matawalle’s legal team earlier the same day.
The court barred the defendants, their agents, and privies from releasing any additional stories or materials alleging that the minister has connections with terrorist organisations pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The minister’s lawsuit described the recent publications as “false, malicious, and defamatory,” claiming they lack evidential foundation and are capable of misleading the public while causing irreparable damage to his reputation.
The allegations, which surfaced in multiple online reports in recent weeks, had generated intense public debate, particularly after President Bola Tinubu reassigned portfolios in the defence sector, moving former Minister Bashir Magashi and appointing General Christopher Musa as Chief of Defence Staff.
Neither the defendants nor their representatives were present when the interim order was granted.
A date for the hearing of the substantive motion has not yet been fixed by the court.
The development marks the latest instance of high-ranking Nigerian officials resorting to legal action to counter what they describe as unsubstantiated media attacks on their character.
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