Hearings in the defamation case instituted by Senator Chris Anyanwu against former Imo State governor Ikedi Ohakim continue in Abuja on Thursday, June 19, before Hon. Justice M.I. Sani of the FCT High Court, Jabi. The case was mentioned on May 6, 2025, and slated for commencement of trial on Tuesday, June 17.
Senator Anyanwu had taken Ohakim to court over an interview he granted to The Nation Newspaper, published on January 12, 2025, in which she alleged that the former governor defamed her. Through her lawyers, she requested that he publish an apology in two national dailies, including The Nation, which first published the interview. Instead, Ohakim filed a defence in which he admitted to the alleged defamatory comments and justified them as fair comment. He has also declared that he intends to publish a letter of apology in his forthcoming book, which he claims Senator Anyanwu sent to the late military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.
In response to the suit, The Nation newspaper published a retraction and an apology to Senator Anyanwu on June 1, 2025. The Nation stated: “In the light of this, we have taken prompt steps to retract the publication across all our digital and print platforms. Furthermore, we have issued a retraction and a public apology in our May 18, 2025, edition of The Sunday Nation newspaper in order to correct the record and ensure our readers are properly informed.”
When the case was called up, Adekunle Kosoko, Esq. announced his appearance on behalf of his principal, Umeh Kalu, SAN, for Senator Anyanwu. In contrast, U.C. Njemanze-Aku and two others represented the Defendant, Mr Ikedi Ohakim.
In response to a question from the judge, Mr. Kosoko acknowledged that he was prepared to proceed with the trial and present his witnesses in the case. However, the defendant’s lawyer requested a brief adjournment due to her client’s sudden ill health, which rendered it impossible for him to attend court for the trial and the cross-examination of the witnesses.
The judge observed that since they had announced her appearance without stating that she was holding a brief for her principal, she was competent to conduct the trial and the cross-examination, warning that he would not tolerate unnecessary delays in this case.
Mr. Kosoko objected to the application for adjournment on the grounds that the defence team had had the witnesses’ depositions for over a month since the date the case was mentioned and should have been prepared to proceed with the cross-examination. He added that one of the witnesses came all the way from Lagos, and the adjournment would incur additional costs on their part.
Njemanze-Aku countered that her principal was slated to be in court but his indisposition, which he could control, prevented this. She said the witness could give his evidence in chief but she will still apply for an adjournment to enable her principal cross examine the witness on the adjourned date.
The plaintiff’s counsel thereafter stated that if the judge was going to consider the application for adjournment, the court should award cost against the defendant to mitigate the expenses incurred in the upkeep and transportation of the witness.
After all the arguments, the judge, with the agreement of both lawyers, granted a short adjournment to Thursday, June 19, 2025, without awarding any cost. He also ordered the plaintiff’s lawyer to serve hearing notice on the second defendant, Vintage Press Ltd. (publishers of The Nation newspaper), who was absent in court.