Photo: Kato the convict
A Yola Chief Magistrates’ Court has sentenced an opposition PDP youth leader in Hong LGA of Adamawa State, Ikamu Hamidu Kato to two years’ in prison for insulting President Muhammadu Buhari.
Kato was alleged to have insulted Buhari and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha in a viral video on his Facebook page following a recent wave of attacks and killings of the people of his community by Boko Haram terrorists.
Kato, a youth leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the Hong area of the state, allegedly took to his Facebook page to condemn the worsening insecurity and insulted the duo.
Delivering judgement, the trial judge, Chief Magistrate Dimas Gwama of the Magistrates’ Court IV Yola, sentenced him to one year in prison for insulting the president and the SGF, as well as one year in prison for inciting public disturbance.
“The court has considered the plea of the convict to temper justice with mercy, his conduct during the trial, his apology, but he will not be left to go scot free, but be punished to serve as a deterrent to others.”
He was however given an option of a N25,000 fine, while both sentences are to run concurrently, according to the the judge.
The youth leader, 41, had described President Muhammadu Buhari and Boss Mustapha as “useless human beings,” and specifically called the SGF a “Bastard and a Dog” in the video he posted on Facebook on 10th of July, 2021.
The Department of State Security (DSS) had investigated and arraigned him in court on Friday
July 30, where Kato had pleaded guilty and the matter was adjourned for trial and later judgment.
During the trial, the prosecution provided two witnesses—a DSS operative Zayyanu Adamu and Husseini Nakura, the chairman of Adamawa State Concerned Citizens —to testify and also tendered the confessional statement of Kato and a USB drive as exhibits. following which the court adjourned for judgment.
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