Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
Taraba state police command has arrested Mr Miracle Mark, a Taraba based blogger, and others for alleged defamation of character, following a complaint against the accused by the state governor Darius Ishaku.
The command’s spokesman DSP David Misal who confirmed the arrest said that the arrest was made following a petition written against the persons for conspiracy to and defamation of the governor’s character through false publication.
Misal said that the accused are still in police custody after they were charged to court on Thursday and the hearing for their bail application is reserved for a later date.
Meanwhile a Frontline human rights activist and Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress Barrister Mohammed Mustapha has described the arrest and continued detention of the suspects as an infringement on their human rights and freedom of expression.
Mustapha said that the decision of the court to reserved ruling in the bail application filed by counsel to the accused for about three weeks is “the worst judicial travesty and a complete abuse of court process and judicial discretion” since the court is expected to “exercise its discretion to grant bail judiciously and considerably”.
The blogger is charged for alleging that the state governor had an amorous affair with wife of a late state Assembly member, resulting into pregnancy.
Tue court is expected to rule on the bail application filed by counsel to the accused on the 26th of May.