By Ameh Ochojila, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory High Court has admitted in evidence, four documents tendered by the Budget Office of the Federation in an N1 billion libel suit against the former rector of Federal Polytechnic, Kaduna, Prof. Idris Bugaje and the institution.

Prof. Idris Bugaje

Justice Hamza Mu’azu admitted the evidence after taking arguments from both parties on the admissibility of the evidence in the suit marked: FCT/HCT/CV/54/54/2021.

The court had earlier subpoenaed the witness and the budget office of the federation to produce vital information relevant to the prosecution of the suit.

At the resumed sitting, Mrs. Alice Ayegunle, who represents the Deputy Director, Budget office of the federation, tendered letter of personnel cost increment; four memos treating the letters and a letter of complaint against Mrs. Bilkisu Sannusi.

They were, accordingly, admitted in evidence after justice Mu’azu took arguments from both counsels.

The polytechnic expenditure officer in the budget office, Mrs Sannusi, had sued the defendants over what she described as their alleged defamatory publication against her.

The applicant claimed that the defendants maliciously described her as “incompetent and corrupt” in a publication dated April 15, 2019.

She stated that the publication was made and circulated as a “vendetta” against her.

This, the applicant said, the defendants did after “they were fingered in the corrupt practices complaint”, which she claimed to have lodged against them and some of her colleagues (in the Budget office) “who conspired with them to manipulate the personnel budget of the Kaduna Polytechnic for the year 2020.”

The suit has been adjourned to May 9 for the continuation of hearing.