Saraki vs Sahara Reporters: Police Arrest Five Suspected Thugs in Kwara

Kwara State Police Command on Thursday arrested five suspected thugs who allegedly attempting to cause mayhem at the resumed hearing of an appeal filed  by the publisher of an online news medium, Sahara Reporters, at Ilorin high court.

The online medium has approached the court to set aside a N4 billion judgment awarded against it over a series of stories published last year by it against the Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Police sources claimed that the suspects had come from outside the state and were also said  to be supporters of the online publisher. 

There was pandemonium as the group confronted loyalists of Saraki who had also gathered to witness the court session.

In the process, a middle-aged woman was stripped naked while passersby ran helter-skelter before the police came to restore law and order.

Also, the Channels and  Core television crew were also attacked by the suspected thugs.

Speaking with journalists on the development yesterday,  the spokesman of  the state police command,  Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, who confirmed the arrest of the five suspected thugs said investigation was still on to uncover the true identity of those arrested.

He said the command had envisaged the possibility of trouble at the resumed hearing, hence the decision to reinforce its normal presence at the court premises.

“We went there to maintain peace as usual but later, there was rancour and we had to deploy more men and in the process, we arrested some people. As at the last time I checked, we had arrested five persons,” the police spokesman said.

Okasanmi said one of those arrested claimed to be a journalist, but was yet to give proper identification of his status and medium.

However, report by the online medium indicated that one of those arrested was one Juwon Sanyaolu, described by the medium as an activist.

Earlier, the court had directed the appellant, represented by Stanley Ihmaruo from the chambers of Femi Falana (SAN), to file an address of service within the jurisdiction of the court to enable the respondent deliver its responses.

The court had been told by counsel to Saraki/respondent that the appellant had failed to provide an address within the jurisdiction of the court and in line with the provisions of the state high court procedures, where they could be served written responses. The case was later adjourned to October 26, 2017, for hearing of the application by the appellant.

The state high court had awarded N4billion against the online medium for accusing the Senate president of misdeeds that were not substantiated.