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…Demands over N550m damages
Senior journalist, publisher, author, and politician, Senator Chris Anyanwu, who represented Imo East senatorial district in the National Assembly from 2007 to 2015, has dragged a former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, to the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, over an alleged defamation of her character.
Anyanwu, who is the claimant in the case, is demanding N550 million in damages for the alleged defamation. Ohakim is the first defendant in the suit, while she also joined Vintage Press Limited – publishers of The Nation, as second defendant.
In a 17-page writ issued by Adekunle Kosoko of Seasons Law Firm, Abuja, Anyanwu is seeking a declaration that the words uttered by Ohakim, which was published by the first and second defendants in the Nation Newspaper website on January 12, 2025, are defamatory of her.
She is also seeking a declaration that the words uttered, published by the first defendant concerning her in the press release, dated January 24, and entitled: “Bold Leap: Chris Anyanwu’s False Narrative And Letter Of Apology To Gen. Abacha” and published by The Sun Newspapers on its website; Daily Post Newspapers on its website; The Niche News Blog, and The Naija News Blog, are defamatory of her.
Anyanwu is also seeking an order of the court that would compel the first and second defendants to retract the defamatory statements concerning her in The Nation Newspaper interview granted by the Ohakim and published in The Nation Newspaper, and, to publish a full page apology to her in The Sun Newspapers and The Nation Newspapers, circulating in Nigeria.
The fourth order she is seeking is for the court to compel Ohakim to retract the defamatory statements concerning her, contained in the published press release, dated January 24, 2025, and, to publish a full page apology to her in The Sun Newspapers and The Nation Newspaper, circulating in Nigeria.
The breakdown of the N550 million damages showed that Anyanwu is requesting N250million for general and exemplary damages jointly and severally against the defendants for the damage done to her reputation by the publication, another N250million for general and exemplary damages against Ohakim for the damage done to her reputation by the publication, and N50 million for any further order(s) that the court may deem fit to make in the circumstances
