Court dismisses Ihejirika’s N100b suit against Obaigbena, others

An Abuja High Court yesterday dismissed a N100 billion libel suit instituted against an Australian national, Stephen Davies, Editor-in-Chief of Arise News, Nduka Obaigbena and his firm, Leaders and Companies Limited for lack of merit.

Justice Valentine Ashi in a judgment dismissed the suit by former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd) in which he held that the plaintiff failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants.

Ihejirika instituted the N100 billion libel suit against Davies for accusing him of sponsoring Boko Haram insurgents. He also asked the court to grant him N100 billion as damages for defamation.

He argued that he suffered grievous wrong as he was exposed to scandal, odium, ridicule, humiliation while his character, credit and reputation were brought into disrepute in and outside the country.

He had also obtained an order of the Court to serve the process on the defendant abroad while his lawyers, on the strength of the court order, applied to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enable them to serve Davies who resides in Australia.