The trial of journalist Luka Binniyat, further prolonged the case after months of delays in Nigeria’s Kaduna State. Binniyat was arrested on 4, 2021, after writing an article critically against the lack of government’s concern on the attack on Christians in Southern Kaduna, Nigeria.
Binniyatâs article included a quote from a Southern Kaduna senator where he discussed the governmentâs use of the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security to detract attention from killing Christians in the state.
The senator has since claimed that he never gave this quote, and Binniyat was accused of defamation. On27 January 2022, Binniyat pled not guilty to all charges, including cyber-related offenses for supposedly disseminating false material through a computer.
Binniyat was released on bail on 3 February 2022. The stipulations for bail were extensive, with Binniyat needing two sureties from Kaduna who both owned properties, with proof of ownership certificates. Binniyat struggled to meet the bail terms due to an additional requirement that the property ownership certificates needed specific certifications during the current Kaduna governorâs term in office.