An Abuja High Court, presided over by Justice Abubakar Talba has fined Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai for failing for the fourth consecutive adjourned date to produce his witness, to substantiate a case of libel and defamation filed by him against the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh.
The governor, who had been attending court even as Chief Executive of Kaduna State, has for four consecutive adjourned dates (since June 2016) failed to produce his witness to substantiate his claims against Metuh.
When the matter was called up at the resumption of trial, Counsel to El-Rufai Rabi Adamu told the court that the witness was again not available to testify and asked for yet another adjournment.
Angered by the submission, Counsel to Metuh, Ben-Chuks Nwosu said with the failure to produce his witness, it is evident that El-Rufai has no case against Metuh.
Nwosu described the development as an abuse of court process adding that the plaintiff cannot continue to drag on his client for no just cause. He said such is not acceptable and should not be permitted by the court.
He said while the plaintiff is the governor of Kaduna state, his client has since left office as the PDP spokesman and is pursuing the case with his personal resources.
Nwosu therefore prayed the court to compel the plaintiff to produce his witness or immediately close his case, since it lacks substance. He also asked the court to award a cost of N150, 000 in favour of his client.
Ruling, Justice Abubakar Talba frowned at the failure of the plaintiff to produce his witness in court. He recalled that the case was adjourned on June 22, 2016, November 23, 2016, February 23, 2017 and now May 3, 2017.
Consequently, the judge awarded a cost of N10, 000 in favour of the defendants and adjourned the case to July 5, 2017
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