The High Court of Lagos State has found Mr. Ikechukwu Iroha, a former Deputy Transition Committee Chairman of Ohafia Local Government Area in Abia State, guilty of defamation against Mr. Kenneth C. Ahia, SAN, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The judgment, delivered on Wednesday 29th October 2025 by Hon. Justice O. A. Ipaye, arose from a suit filed by Mr. Kenneth Ahia, SAN, against Mr. Iroha for a series of defamatory publications made on social media and online news platforms, which were said to have impugned the Claimant’s professional integrity and reputation.
In its decision, the Court considered three issues for determination and resolved all in favour of the Claimant.
Justice Ipaye found that the Defendant’s publications specifically:
• The 10th July 2023 post on Facebook titled “Payment of Legal Fees Through Contract Award,” and
• The 15th July 2023 post on Facebook, later published by Sahara Reporters, titled “Why Are They Panicking?” were false, defamatory, malicious, and intentionally aimed at damaging Mr. Ahia’s reputation and professional standing.
The Court further held that the said publications lowered the esteem of the Claimant in the eyes of right-thinking members of the public, both within and outside Nigeria.
Consequently, the Court entered judgment in favour of Mr. Kenneth Ahia, SAN, and granted the following reliefs:
1. Declaration that the impugned publications are false, libelous, and injurious to the Claimant’s reputation.
2. Award of damages in the sum of ₦20,000,000 (Twenty Million Naira) in favour of the Claimant.
3. Award of costs in the sum of ₦500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
4. Order directing the Defendant to:
• Publish a full retraction of the defamatory statements;
• Publish an unreserved written apology to the Claimant on Sahara Reporters and in at least one national newspaper (to be selected from The Guardian, Vanguard, Punch, ThisDay, Daily Trust, or The Sun) within 7 days of the judgment;
• Refrain from making or publishing any similar defamatory content against the Claimant in the future;
• Remove all defamatory materials from every online platform where they were previously posted.
