A Federal High Court in Jalingo, Taraba State, has granted bail to Fonya Sule, who was detained for about one month over a Facebook post concerning Governor Agbu Kefas and the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate, Zainab Ibrahim.
Mr Sule was detained at the Jalingo Correctional Centre following a complaint by the Taraba State Government over the post, which allegedly defamed the governor and Ms Ibrahim, popularly known as Aunty Zee.
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The state government, through the Office of the Attorney-General, filed the complaint on 30 September before the Upper Area Court in Jalingo.
Court documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES indicate that Mr Sule published the post on his Facebook page on 12 August.
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The post read: “Aunty Zee be Very careful ooh, if not u will soon carry belle, that your boss na one time BuGu.”
Ms Ibrahim is the APC deputy governorship candidate in Taraba State for the 2027 election.
The state government alleged that the publication was intended to damage the reputations of the governor and Ms Ibrahim, describing it as criminal defamation and injurious falsehood.
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The complaint, filed in suit number CM/138/28, was brought under Section 122(A) of the Taraba State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2021.
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It was signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, A. D. Mustapha, and four other state counsel. The prosecution cited Sections 392 and 393 of the Penal Code Law of Taraba State, 1997.
Bail application
Mr Sule’s lawyer, Pius Danba, approached the Federal High Court in Jalingo to seek his client’s release on bail, arguing that the alleged offence was bailable and that the prosecution had yet to prove its case.
The court granted the bail application, according to Mr Danba, who spoke to journalists at the Jalingo Correctional Centre.
The lawyer said his client was presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court.
Mr Sule was arrested after the publication and remanded at the correctional centre pending the determination of the case.
There was no immediate information on the bail conditions or the next date for the proceedings.
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