Taraba State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr Mike Dio Jen, has dragged one Mr Abdulmumuni Imam, a staff member of the state university and a social media activist, to court over what he described as defamation of character against his person.
Dr Dio Jen has approached the court to compel Mr Imam to provide proof of his allegations against him that he, the Commissioner, directed the stoppage of Imam’s salary from the university.
When the case came up for mention, counsel to the defendant, Isa Buba, informed the court that his client had suffered a domestic accident resulting in a leg fracture.
Buba also challenged the sudden withdrawal of the prosecuting counsel, Ganki Hassan, from a similar case where she was defending the accused, to instead prosecute him in another court.
The defence counsel insisted that confidential information had been given to Barr Ganki, and that she had therefore violated the professional practice of the law.
However, counsel to the plaintiff, Fonga Umaru, holding brief for Ganki Hassan, urged the court to invoke Section 97 of the Criminal Justice Law to compel the accused to appear in court to defend his claims.
Fonga, on behalf of Hassan, told the court that evidential proof had not been presented to ascertain the reality of the accused’s illness, and that the claim by the defence counsel was therefore a mere tactic to stall prosecution of the matter.
Meanwhile, the trial judge, Ishaq Umar of the Upper Area Court 10, adjourned the matter to 13 October 2026 for hearing.
The judge also directed the defence counsel to ensure the presence of the accused on the next adjourned date.