The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR Kwara Chapter, has brokered an amicable settlement in the crisis that festered between the Chief Press Secretary to the state Governor, Mallam Rafiu Ajakaye and the Akogun family with CPS the withdrawing the defamation case charged against the duo of Abdulrasheed and Dare Akogun.
The withdrawal of the case before the court, according to a statement by Dr. Saudat Salah Abdulbaqi, the Chairperson of the state NIPR was sequel to a resolution jointly signed by the warring parties on 23rd November, 2022 at NIPR Image House, Ilorin and tendered before the court as a basis for withdrawing the charges.
The statement reads in part, “The concerned parties while signing the resolution paper witnessed by NIPR Chairperson, Dr. Saudat Salah Abdulbaqi, Mr Kunle Akogun and the Reconciliation Committee chaired by Dr Oba La’aro pledged to sheathe their swords and give peace a chance on the firm belief that jaw-jaw is better than war- war”
The Kwara Police Command had on Thursday October 13, 2022 detained the sibling-journalists after they honoured an invitation by the police over allegations of critical WhatsApp posts against the CPS.
Abdulrasheed, the younger brother publishes the online newspaper, Freshinsight, while Dare is a broadcaster with Sobi fm. The father, a renowned journalist is the head of Corporate Affairs of the University of Ilorin.
Matters came to a head when the Kwara Police Command arraigned the duo on allegations of inciting disturbance, injurious falsehood and criminal defamation.
Concerned parties and individuals from within and outside of the state had waded in to resolve the crisis with their efforts not yielding any results until the moves by the NIPR.
Abdulbaqi in her statement said: “In ensuring a win-win resolution, the parties agreed that the matter should be allowed to die a natural death on the strength that it would not be used, either by act of omission or commission, as a potent tool by any of the parties in the nearest future”
The NIPR however observed that the crisis was exacerbated by the prejudicial activities of some media houses including social media handles, “who wrongly run commentary on the matter while it was before the court”, appealing to them to refrain from making hurtful references to the issue particularly now that the issue has been amicably resolved.
The Chairperson expressed the gratitude of the NIPR to all stakeholders and other notable associations and members of the society whose complementary interventions were helpful in bringing the matter to a fruitful close.
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