From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Supreme Court has reserved judgment until May 27 in the N6 billion defamation suit against a former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside.
A former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili, brought the case against Dakuku over alleged defamation of his character.
The court fixed the date on Monday after taking final arguments for and against the suit.
Justice Olukayode Ariwoola who led a five-man panel of Justices of the court that heard the matter announced that a final decision on the defamation of character suit would be known on May 27.
In the suit, the former Rivers State governor had claimed that Peterside during a press conference in Port Harcourt defamed him in his allegations that Governor Nyesom Wike’s Supreme Court victory was hatched by him.
Dr Odili’s wife is a Justice of the Supreme Court.
During Monday’s proceedings, lead counsel for Odili, Kanu Agabi, SAN, urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal by Peterside and enter judgment in favour of Dr Odili.
However, Damian Okoro, counsel to Dakuku Peterside asked the Apex court to allow the appeal and set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the N6 billion naira defamation suit.