A Federal High Court in Kano has officially recognized the right of journalists to keep their information sources confidential. Justice Simon Amobeda ruled that this protection holds firm unless a case involves national security concerns or the information is directly relevant to ongoing judicial proceedings. While the court maintained its authority to subpoena journalists as witnesses, it emphasized that forced disclosure of sources is only permissible under strictly defined legal conditions.
This ruling emerged during a legal battle involving Ahmad Rabiu, the founder of the Dala Dry Inland Port, who is facing charges of cyberstalking and defamation brought by the Inspector-General of Police. The charges stem from a 2024 Premium Times investigation which alleged that former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje redirected state-owned shares to himself and his children.
During the session, Premium Times reporter Abubakar Ahmadu Maishanu appeared as a prosecution witness. When pressed to reveal his sources for the report, defense counsel Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, SAN, objected, arguing that such a disclosure was an overreach. The court sided with the protection of journalistic integrity, instructing the prosecution to reframe questions to avoid violating the reporter’s privilege unless specific case-linking criteria were met. Following testimony that highlighted the absence of the Ganduje family from the port’s official director list, the court adjourned the matter until October 15 for a no-case submission.