Popular facebooker in Ogechi Njaka, has filed a libellous suit against Obinwanne valentine Nonso, a blogger.
In the suit before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, the claimant accused Obinwanne of his using his blog to defame her reputation before right thinking members of the public across Nigeria and the globe.
The suit was filed on 12 March 2024 by Ogechi’s young human rights lawyer, in Barrister Joel karatu.
In the statement of claim, the plaintiff’s lawyer told the court that his client operates a non governmental organisation called Ogel Helping Hands Foundation.
But the defendant, Valentine Obinwanne used his blog through YouTube and Facebook mostly to post “numerous slanderous and defamatory video contents which are defamatory to the personality of the plaintiff,” Mr Joel argued.
He further said Ogechi has family members, church members and friends who are active on social media. These persons drew Ogechi’s attention to the said libellous contents that were posted by valentine Obinwanne on his social media handles.
The lawyer referenced a particular issue where the defendant published on the Internet that the plaintiff had been declared wanted by the police for fraudulent activities.
But, a federal judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, in February 2022, nullified and struck out the said arrest warrant earlier issued by Nigerian police against the plaintiff.
“The plaintiff avers that the action of the defendant of sharing contents on social media to millions of right-thinking members of the society on the issue she is not responsible for and the court has not declared her responsible for is a breach of her civil rights.”
In another instance, the plaintiff said Obinwanne allegedly published a picture purporting to be the private part of the plaintiff.
“The publication has greatly prejudiced and injured the plaintiff and caused her reputational damage, loss of goodwill and confidence by congregants, family members, associates and friends, whom all of now shun and keep their distance from her as a woman of questionable character,” the plaintiff’s lawyer contended.
Prayers:
In urging the court to do justice in the matter, the plaintiff prayed it to declare that the various videos and publications authored by the defendant and circulated on his social media pages are “libellous, false, malicious, injurious and intended to lower the reputation and integrity of the plaintiff” before the public.
The plaintiff lawyer prayed the court to order the Valentine Obinwanne to retract the alleged libellous publications against his client, and “publish an unreserved apology in at least three national dailies within seven days from the date of judgement.”
Mr Joel further urged the court to stop the defendant from further publishing any defamatory content against Ogechi.
The lawyer begged the court to order the defendant to pay the sum of N1 billion as damages for the “false, injurious, malicious and libellous publications.”
Also, he is demanding the sum of N4 million as cost of prosecuting the case against Obinwanne.
To substantiate the allegations against Obinwanne, the plaintiff accompanied the suit with photo and video shots of the defendant’s defamatory publications.
In addition, Ogechi intends to call witnesses who have already deposed to affidavits in aid of the case.
The suit is yet to be assigned to a judge for hearing , but an advanced copy of suit has been served on the defendant by the plaintifs through his whatsapp phone number.
