An Abuja court has sentenced Ibrahim Garba Wala, a well-known social media activist to 12 years imprisonment for charges bordering on public incitement and criminal defamation.
The verdict was passed by Justice Yusuf Halilu at a High Court in Maitama, on Monday.
Before his arraignment, Wala had been the coordinator of Citizens Action to Take Back Nigeria (CATBAN).
Wala is said to have used his Facebook Platform in posting derogatory comments about the chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Abdullahi Muhammed. He also allegedly went ahead to discredit the commission and stir up controversies over its activities.
In its reaction, NAHCON filed a 4-count charge against Wala and submitted it to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
Wala has now been found guilty of three of the charges – managing unlawful association, public incitement, and defamation of character.
The judge consented that the activist committed the crime of criminal defamation against the NAHCON boss after posting that he kept “N3 billion for himself” during the last Hajj operations in 2017.
Explaining the reason for the verdict, the Justice Yusuf stressed that even though Wala claimed that he had evidence to prove the claims on the post, he was unable to present the evidence during the proceedings.
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