By Akinwale Kasali
Yahaya Bello, former Kogi State Governor has just made the sum of one billion Naira.
This is thanks to a Court Judgement by the High Court in Lokoja which awarded him the N1billion as damages against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in a defamation suit filed by the former Governor.
The Court order is contained in the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the judgement, dated April 23, in Lokoja, Kogi State Capital.
Justice A.S. Ibrahim held that based on the preponderance of evidence, or balance of probabilities, judgment was entered in favour of the claimant.
While delivering his judgement in the suit marked, “HCL/16/2023”, he held that upon the conclusion of the suit, the 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 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 gave “an order of perpetual injunction against the Defendant, [her] agents, privies or associates”, restraining them from further issuance of the defamatory statements or words against the claimant on TV or radio stations.
“The sum of one billion naira (N1,000,000,000) only (is) awarded as damages against the Defendant and in favour of the Claimant,” the court said.
It would be recalled that
Bello had sued Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan who is representing Kogi Central Senatorial District at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly for defamation of character.
The Defendant’s Counsel, Johnson J. Usman, SAN, had challenged the jurisdiction of the Court, saying that the suit was an abuse of Court process.
Bello’s Counsel, Friday Ekpa, however, countered that, saying that none of the cases before the FCT High Court was against the person of Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
After the High Court ruled that it had jurisdiction to entertain the case, Akpoti-Uduaghan appealed the ruling.
The Court of Appeal, in the appeal number, “CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024”, however, dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit and affirmed that the Kogi State High Court had jurisdiction to entertain the case.
The legal team of the Senator, as at the time of filing this, has not indicated if it would appeal the judgement or not.
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