Yobe Magistrate Dismisses Case Against Talban Potiskum Over Hate Speech Allegation
The Chief Magistrate Court 1 sitting in Damaturu has dismissed the case filed against Mr. Suleiman Jaji, the Talban Potiskum,
The case was instituted by the Commissioner of Police, Yobe State Command, over alleged incitement, hate speech and threat to public peace.
The suit, filed as Commissioner of Police v. Suleiman Jaji with number YBS/DT/CMC1/284/2025, was brought pursuant to Section 114 of the Penal Code Law of Yobe State.
Jaji, who holds a traditional title under the Potiskum Emirate Council, was petitioned to the Yobe State Commissioner of Police by a group operating under the aegis of Potiskum Community c/o Fika Emirate Council.
The petition, titled “Petition Against Mr. Suleiman Jaji for Incitement, Hate Speech and Threats to Public Peace in Potiskum.”
The petition alleged that on Aug. 24, 2025, Jaji made statements before the Emir of Potiskum and visiting dignitaries lamenting that health partners had visited the Emir of Fika first instead of the Emir of Potiskum.
The petitioners further accused Jaji of claiming that Potiskum “belongs exclusively to the Ngizim people,” and that “anyone who is not Ngizim does not belong here.”
They described the remarks as false, inflammatory, and dangerous, adding that they posed a direct threat to the unity, history, and constitutional order of Potiskum town.
However, when the case came up for hearing on Oct. 11, 2025, the presiding magistrate, Abba Bukar, dismissed it in accordance with Section 371 of the Yobe State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (2020), following the complainants’ failure to appear in court.
Speaking to newsmen after the ruling, Mr. Sule Kwasau, counsel to the defendant, described the case as frivolous and politically motivated.
According to him, the issue stemmed from a long-standing historical dispute over the traditional and administrative structure of the Potiskum area.
Which he said had been divided into multiple emirates due to what he called “manipulations from within and outside the state.”
“The defendant is an academic who merely expressed his personal opinion on the peaceful coexistence of all inhabitants of Potiskum Local Government,” Kwasau said.
He noted that the complainants’ absence in court was a clear indication of the weakness of their case.
“In line with Section 371 of the Yobe State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, when a matter is fixed for hearing and the complainants or their witnesses fail to appear, the court has the power to dismiss it—and that is what happened today,” the counsel explained.
Kwasau emphasised that his client would continue to advocate peacefully for justice and mutual respect among communities in the area.
“You cannot have peace without justice,” he said, stressing that traditional and historical realities must be respected to sustain harmony in Potiskum and its environs.
When contacted, Esq. Abdulhakeem Ahmed, counsel to the Fika Emirate, said he would need to consult his principal before commenting on the matter. He, however, did not respond to subsequent calls seeking his reaction.
