The Amanyanabo of Okochiri clan in Okirika Local Government Area of Rivers State, His Royal Majesty, King Ateke Tom, has filed a N1 billion suit against eight chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State over alleged defamation.
In the suit PHC/345/2018 before a State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Ateke, who is an Ex-Niger Delta agitator further demand apology from the APC chieftains on national newspapers for denting his character.
The defendants in the suit are: Hon. Asita O. Asita, Deputy Governorship candidate of the APC in the 2015 election, Dr. Davies Ikanya, the Chairman of APC in the state, Dumo Lulu Briggs, Sampson Ngerigbara.
Others defendants in the suit include, Prince Tonye Princewill, Sekonte Davies, Emeka Beke, secretary of the APC in the state and Lawrence Chuku.
This was coming following a pro-SARS rally organised in Port Harcourt by the APC in which Ateke’s picture was printed in a banner and allegedly described as a criminal made a king by the state government.
The suit read in part: “On the 11thDay of December, 2017 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, all the Defendants falsely and maliciously wrote and published or caused to be written and published of and concerning the claimant in the way of his office as a Second Class Traditional Ruler recognised by the Rivers State Government in the form of Written Banner wherein his picture was displayed in his Traditional Regalia beside that of the Executive Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Chief Nyesom Wike, with the following inscriptions on it: GOV. WIKE IS MAKING CRIMINALS KINGS AND ATTACKING SECURITY AGENTS.”
However, Ateke wants the court to compel the defendants to jointly and or severally pay him the sum of N1 billion for libel and defamation of his character.
Ateke also want the court to make an order directing the defendants to render a written apology in a prominent and conspicuous medium retracting the said offensive banner publication and publication in three national dailies.
He further sought a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants whether by themselves or their supporters from making any further defamatory publication concerning the claimant or his office in any form whatsoever as well as an undertaking to that effect.
