Public Health Physician Arraigned For Defamation, Accusing Man Of Affair With Wife

A public health physician, Alayo Sopekan, was on Wednesday arraigned at the Upper Area Court Gwagwalada for accusing another of having a secret affair with his wife.

The police charged Mr Sopekan of Kuje, Abuja, with criminal intimidation and defamation of character.

The prosecution counsel, Dabo Yakubu, told the court that the complainant, Olaide Mukaila of Bamishi in the Kuje area council, reported the matter to the Gwagwalada area command on February 8.

Mr Yakubu said the defendant defamed the complainant’s character sometime in January by saying he burgled his house.

He said the defendant accused the complainant of having secret affairs with his wife, Kehinde Lugo and also threatened to use his position as a director to deal with him.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened sections 396 and 391 of the Penal Code.

Mr Yakubu objected to the defendant’s bail, adding that the defence counsel should make a formal bail application because the defendant had earlier jumped bail in the police station.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In an oral bail application, defence counsel Linus Bassey prayed the court to grant his client bail on the most liberal terms.

He cited sections 158, 162, 163 and 164 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and section 36 (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended to buttress his claims for bail.

Mr Bassey said the defendant would not jump bail and would always make himself available to attend his trials.

The judge, Abdullahi Abdulkarim, admitted the defendant to bail of N1 million with one reasonable surety in like sum.

Mr Abdulkarim ordered that the surety reside within the country’s jurisdiction and present his National Identity Number (NIN).

He adjourned the case until April 29 for a hearing.