A Senior Advocate of Nigeria from Abia State Ken Ahia(SAN) has sued the Former Commissioner for Finance in the Administration of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, Mr Obinna Oriaku over libelous publication against him titled “Shameless Cover Up Of A Drowning Administration Caught In The Act”, wherein the he made damaging, invidious and untrue statements him.
In a Writ of Summons issued by the Lagos State High Court against Mr Oriaku, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said on or about the 26t October, 2024, the Mr Oriaku authored and caused to be published to the general public, on his facebook page with the link https://facebook.com/honobinnaoriaku and through a widely-read online news platform known as www.newsmirrorng.com, an article titled “Shameless Cover Up Of A Drowning Administration Caught In The Act”, The said article/editorial according to him was read by
many persons around the world and in Lagos State within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court.
“The Claimant avers that the above libelous publication was published by the Defendant
to the website www.newsmirrorng.com which the Defendant utilized for his publication, is on the World Wide Web. The printout of the Defendant’s blog publication of October 26, 2024 is hereby pleaded”
“The Claimant avers that the Defendant syndicated the libelous opinion expressed in his article through several other news media and broadcast same to several other platforms, including Sahara Reporters, a widely read online publishing outfit with worldwide coverage. The printout of the Sahara Reporters coverage of the Defendant’s article, which was read all over the world and is still available on the internet, is hereby pleaded”
“The Claimant avers that in both the publication on his facebook page and the www.newsmirrorng.com article referred to above and to which the Defendant signed off with his name, the Defendant stated the following:
“Another fraudulent activity of Abia state government was recently made public through a leaked Ministry of Justice memo which revealed the level of rot and malfeasance going on under the so-called New Abia” Is it possible that the Attorney General deliberately wants to assist his friend and benefactor by out-sourcing his core function just to grease the palms of his benefactor while Abians bear the brunt. Why outsource, if it’s not settlement or money-sharing with the good boys, And I ask, what does the law firm that drafted the agreement know about negotiations of engineering works.”
“Is it possible that these spurious transactions were being hidden from the eagle eyes of impoverished civil servants ”
“The Claimant avers that the Defendant then proceeded to broadcast and publish an article ‘How Abia Governor, Otti paid Law Firm Owned By Friend Who Donated Buses For His Campaign Millions Of Naira As Contract Negotiation Fees’, to an online WhatsApp Group known as ‘Concerned Abians’ comprising of more than 193 members. Members of the said WhatsApp Group live in different parts of the world including Lagos and read the publication.
A screenshot of the Defendant’s
forwarded message and list of members are hereby pleaded”
“The Claimant avers that the Defendant went further to transmit the same story under the same article titled ‘How Abia Governor, Otti paid Law Firm Owned By Friend Who Donated Buses For His Campaign Millions Of Naira As Contract Negotiation Fees’, to several other online news platforms, for instance, ‘thebureau.com.ng’, the link to which the Defendant also forwarded to the said WhatsApp platform “Concerned Abians”. A screenshot of the Defendant’s forwarded message is hereby pleaded”
According to the Senior advocate of Nigeria, the libelous material published by Mr Oriaku were made with the intention to humiliate, degrade and put him to disrepute and lower his image and stock before his clients, friends, family, Abia State citizens, the general public, the world and everyone who knows him.
“The Claimant avers that since the publication of the Defendant’s libelous statements, the Claimant has been inundated with several phone calls from clients, friends, family and associates within Lagos State and all over the world, who read these publications”
He urged the Court to declare that the article Published by Oriaku was false and libelous and intended to lower his reputation before right thinking members of the society, people living in Lagos State and the World at large.
He further prayed the Court to order Mr Oriaku to pay him N1Billion as general damages for the unjustified false and libelous publication against him.
The Former Commissioner has 42days effective from 3rd December 2024 to cause appearance for him in response to the suit filed by Mr Ken Ahia(SAN)
