Edo State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu has instituted a N50 billion lawsuit against the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki and six others for defamation of his character.
Shuaibu is contending that Obaseki allegedly deployed two national newspapers to publish stories injurious to his integrity.
Specifically, he claimed that the stories published by the newspapers and sourced from a press statement from Edo State Government House portrayed him as as an abuser of office, fraud[ulent], violent, vicious, criminal, selfish, greedy, power drunk and dangerous personality who used his office/position to exploit the government and convert public property for his self-aggrandizement.
Besides Obaseki, the Deputy Governor also named the Edo State Attorney General, the Daily Trust, Vanguard, Prof Faith Osadolor and the state’s Commissioner for Communication and Orientation as defendants in the suit.
Shaibu, in the suit, averred that the said newspapers’ publication were unwarranted, unjustifiable, unfounded, baseless and calculated to injure, tarnish and disparage his character and good reputation and therefore, defamatory.
He therefore sought AN ORDER OF HONOURABLE COURT awarding the sum of Fifty- Billion Naira (N50, 000,000.000.00) only to the him against the defendants for the egregious falsehood, malicious and libellous publications contained at page 22 of Daily Trust Newspaper of Tuesday, 2nd July, 2024, Vanguard 25 | Page
The offensive words were contained in a press release of the Edo State Ministry of Communication and Orientation on the 26th of July, 2024 and the Edo State Government’s Press release of 18th and 19th July, 2024 which had injured his hard earned character and good reputation portrayed him as an abuser of office, fraud[ulent], violent, vicious, criminal, selfish, greedy, power drunk and dangerous personality who used his office/position to exploit the government and convert public property for his self-aggrandizement.
He is seeking an ORDER OF HONOURABLE COURT awarding the sum of Twenty- Million Naira (N20,000.000.00) Only against the defendants as cost of this suit in favour of the claimant [himself].
He is also seeking AN ORDER of this Honourable Court awarding the sum of Ten-Million Naira Only (N10,000,000.00) as exemplary damages against the defendants in favour of the claimant [himself].
Others are,:
AN ORDER DIRECTING the Defendants to write and publish a retraction of their malicious and libelous statement to the Claimant as well as a public apology to be published in two national dailies.
The interest at the rate of ten percent (10%) on the Judgment sum from the date of Judgment until the sum is liquidated.
AN FOR SUCH FURTHER OR OTHER ORDERS as the Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this suit.
