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A High Court in Lokoja has awarded N1 billion in damages against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in a defamation suit filed by former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello, according to a certified true copy of the judgement dated April 23 and seen by NAN.
Justice A.S. Ibrahim, in his ruling on the suit marked “HCL/16/2023”, held that two issues formulated for determination were resolved in favour of the claimant.
“The interview granted by the defendant on 4/11/2022 on Arise TV programme of ‘The Morning Show’ is defamatory to the claimant’s character and reputation,” the court said.
“The said interview of 4/11/2022 in which the defendant described the claimant as a murderer, killer, perpetrator of evil acts, and a terror to the people of Kogi State, was without justification.”
The court also issued “an order of perpetual injunction against the Defendant, her agents, privies or associates”, restraining them from further making defamatory statements against the claimant on TV or radio stations.
“The sum of one billion naira (N1,000,000,000) only awarded as damages against the Defendant and in favour of the Claimant,” the court said.
Bello had sued Akpoti-Uduaghan for defamation of character.
The defendant’s counsel, Johnson J. Usman, challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the suit was an abuse of court process. Bello’s counsel, Friday Ekpa, countered that none of the cases before the FCT High Court were against Bello personally.
After the High Court ruled it had jurisdiction, Akpoti-Uduaghan appealed. The Court of Appeal, in appeal number “CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024”, dismissed the appeal for lacking merit and affirmed that the Kogi State High Court had jurisdiction to hear the case.
