Cyberbullying: Court orders critic to pay lawmaker N10m damages

From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki

The Ebonyi State High Court in Abakaliki has ordered a social critic in the state, Chisom Achor, to pay the member representing the Ikwo/Ezza South federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, the sum of N10 million as damages for defamation and character assassination.

Achor was arrested last year by the police over the offence and was, subsequently, arraigned in suit number HAB/224/2025.

Delivering judgement on the suit, yesterday, the trial judge, Justice  Franklin Edem, found Achor guilty of the offence and ordered him to pay the lawmaker N10 million as compensation.

The court further ordered Achor to tender an apology to Ogah in national dailies within two weeks and restrained him from making further defamatory posts against Ogah. The court also awarded the sum of  N200, 000.00 compensation to the Prosecuting Counsels over the matter.

One of the prosecuting counsels, Sampson  Ekigbo, described the court as the last hope of the common man. He lauded the trial judge for the judgement which, he said, will deter people from character assassination and defamation.

Ekigbo urged youths to avoid using social media for negative tendencies to avoid the consequences Achor has faced. The lawyer commended Hon. Chinedu for approaching the court to seek redress than resorting to self help.