Government of Kogi State led by Governor Yahaya Bello has pardoned the Bayelsa born blogger and owner of Naija Live TV, Mr. Saint Mienpamo Onitsha over a May 2nd, 2020, publication of a report of N7billion Covid-19 isolation centre purportedly built by the Kogi State government and blown away by rainstorm.
Kogi State government also withdrew the case of defamation filed against him at the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.
The authorities of the Department of State Security (DSS) had last year arrested, detained and arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa the Bayelsa News Blogger, Saint Mienpamo Onitsha, over the alleged publication of the collapse of the N7billion Isolation Centre located at the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja in Kogi State.
According to the DSS, investigations and arrest of the Bayelsa News Blogger have shown that the publication is no doubt an orchestration to tarnish the image of the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello and incite the public against his administration.
But at today’s sitting of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, the presiding Judge, Justice Abimbola Awogboro, struck out the case of defamation against Saint Mienpamo based on the request of Governor, Yahaya Bello.
The accused news blogger had earlier tendered an unreserved apology to Governor Bello and the people of Kogi State before the case against him was withdrawn by the Kogi State Government.
The news blogger, who was full of praises for the Kogi State Governor, said “First of all, I want to appreciate the Kogi State governor for playing a fatherly role. I appreciate him because he has decided to forgive me as a father and I take him as a father from today. On the professional angle, as journalists, we do confirm stories before we publish. I will still make sure that going forward, I will get to the root of all my stories before publication.”
He also used the medium to commend the Commissioner for Information and Communications in Kogi State, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, for taking the time to come from Kogi to Yenagoa to see to the amicable settlement of the case.
Mr. Fanwo described Governor Bello as a media friendly person and would not want anything that may destroy the existing cordial relationship between him and the media.
“Let me first of all thank the DSS for the diligent prosecution of this case. From the investigation and prosecution, the DSS showed to the world that they are one of the best agencies that we have in Nigeria.
“The governor has decided to forgive Saint Mienpamo for so many reasons. One of the reasons is that he apologized to the governor and he has learnt his lessons from this to always follow the ethics of the profession.We are very sure that he is a young journalist that has been doing very well. So, we do believe that it’s an error on his part, and having apologized to the governor, the governor has decided to forgive him.
“Secondly, the governor is a friend of journalists and he is someone that is very friendly to media practitioners. So, he has decided to use this as an example of his cordial relationship with pen pushers.
“Lastly, Saint Mienpamo is a young man like the governor. They belong to the youth bracket. He is a friend of all youths across the country. So, it’s a way of saying, ‘Saint Mienpamo, you are my friend and despite the disagreement, I have decided to forgive you,'” Sanwo added.
Lead defendant Counsel to Saint Mienpamo, Barr. Benjamin Ogbarah, said his client was standing trial for cyber stocking over a publication he made against the governor of Kogi State.
He said the case was amicably withdrawn after Mienpamo and his family approached and pleaded with the Governor Bello for out-of-court settlement.
He said the withdrawal of the case was brought pursuant to section 108, subsection 2 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, adding that the withdrawal of the case means acquittal of Saint Mienpamo.
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