Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has filed five-count criminal defamation charges against Hon. Mashood Mustapha and his brother Bolakale Mustapha at the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, the state capital.

The suit, which came up for hearing before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar on Monday, was filed by the governor on behalf of the people of Kwara State.

The alleged defamation case, which concerns offences of perjury and inciting public disturbance, was filed by Mr Ayoola Akande, Kwara State Director of Public Prosecutions, who represented the state government in court.

Hon. Mashood Mustapha was a member of the National Assembly representing Ilorin West and Asa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015. He was also a gubernatorial aspirant in the All Progressives Congress primary election for the 2019 election.

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According to the charges before the court, the defendants are alleged to have uploaded and published a five-minute, forty-one-second video likely to disturb public peace.

The first defendant, Bolakale, was also alleged to have filed an action against the governor at the Federal High Court based on a false allegation.

The charges further revealed that the second defendant, Mashood, uploaded a video containing abusive, insulting, and derogatory language against the governor, Mallam Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq.

According to The PUNCH, two defendants denied the alleged offences, saying the allegations were false.

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The prosecution team, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ayoola Akande, prayed the court to remand the defendants in federal correctional custody on the basis that their bail application was not ripe for hearing.

He added that “the alleged offences are not ordinarily bailable,” noting that one of the offences carries a 14-year jail term.

Professor Kayode Olatoke SAN and Moses Ebute SAN represented the two defendants respectively.

In their separate submissions, the counsels urged the court to dismiss the prosecution’s prayers, arguing that their clients’ alleged offences are bailable.

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They prayed the court to grant the defendants bail on liberal terms, arguing that they are well-known in the state and ready to provide reliable sureties.

The court, in its short ruling, admitted that the offences against the defendants are bailable and granted them bail in the sum of ₦5 million with a surety. The matter was adjourned for further hearing until July 18, 2025.

Speaking to the press after the judgment, one of the lead counsels for the second defendant, Moses Ebute SAN, said: “Ordinarily, the case was a bailable offence and the honourable judge, in his wisdom, has graciously granted our client bail with conditions being fulfilled.

“Although we indicated to the court that we were ready to proceed with the trial immediately, the prosecution requested a date, probably to get their house in order. We will return on 18 July to commence the trial.”

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a Rano Air aircraft with registration number 5N-BZY following an in-flight engine failure during a flight from Kano to Sokoto.

In a statement released on Monday, the NCAA confirmed that the flight made an emergency air return after the crew reported the incident to the Air Traffic Control.

Passengers and crew were thrown into panic after smoke was observed in both the cabin and the flight deck mid-air.

According to the Directorate of Airworthiness, led by Victor Foyea, oxygen masks were deployed and standard safety procedures were immediately activated to facilitate a safe landing.

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“The Rano aircraft 5N-BZY experienced a failure on its engine 1. Smoke was noticed in the cabin and flight deck. Oxygen masks were donned. The appropriate safety protocols were initiated on the ground for landing. Smoke dissipated. The pilot safely landed the aircraft without incident,” the NCAA stated.

The regulatory authority confirmed that no immediate casualties or injuries were recorded, and the aircraft landed safely at the Kano airport where emergency services had been placed on standby.

As a precautionary measure, the NCAA ordered the grounding of the aircraft pending a thorough investigation into the cause of the malfunction.

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The aircraft was also scheduled to operate a Sokoto-bound flight, which has since been cancelled.

As of the time of reporting, the aircraft remains grounded, with engineers working on diagnostics and repairs.

The NCAA reiterated its commitment to passenger safety and emphasized that precautionary measures, including flight cancellations, are necessary whenever there is a hint of mechanical irregularity.

“Even more advanced countries experience air incidents. But in Nigeria, flights are grounded or cancelled at the slightest indication of safety concerns. Safety remains our top priority,” the statement added.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday granted the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Udauaghan bail on self-recognition.

Akpoti-Udauaghan was arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime.

After the charges were read to her, she pleaded not guilty to all.

The senator allegedly made false and damaging statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Kogi State’s former governor, Yahaya Bello.

According to the charge, Akpoti-Udauaghan was alleged to have said, “Akpabio told Yahaya Bello… that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, it should be done in Kogi, so it will seem as if it is the people that killed me.”

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Days later, during an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today, she reiterated the allegations, asserting: “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night… to eliminate me.”

The Federal Government stated that these statements, widely disseminated through digital platforms, were knowingly false and intended to incite unrest.

The FG further contended that the remarks violate “Section 24(2)(c)” of the Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises the intentional spread of false information to damage reputations or provoke public disorder.

While applying for bail, Akpoti-Udauaghan’s legal team, led by Professor Roland Otaru (SAN), requested that she be granted bail on self-recognition being a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a senior member of the bar.

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He added that there is no counter-affidavit from the prosecution, challenging the bail application.

Justice Mohammed Umar proceeded to grant the request of the defence counsel and granted the senator bail on self-recognition.

The court adjourned until September 22, for the commencement of trial.