Former Minister of State forDefence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro
has gone to court to seek redress
over a case of defamation of
character by online newspapers
Sahara Reporters and Premium
Times. Joined in the suit are
Punch Newspapers Ltd., Omoyele
Sowore, Publisher of Sahara
Reporters and Festus Owete,
General Editor at Premium Times.
The defendants had published an
audio recording of Senator Musiliu
Obanikoro, purportedly in a
conversation with other individuals
to rig the Ekiti State gubernatorial
elections, an allegation Senator
Obanikoro and the others have
since disclaimed.
In a suit filed at the Lagos State High
Court Ikeja on Tuesday, 10th February
2015, Senator Obanikoro is suing the
defendants for damages to the tune of
N1 billion. According to the suit filed on
his behalf by Dr. Yemi Oke of MJS
Partners, Senator Obanikoro is seeking
“1.) An order of perpetual injunction
restraining the defendants from
publishing or causing to be published
either directly or indirectly, defamatory,
damaging, offensive or degrading
statements, articles and/or materials
against the claimant, 2.) An order
directing the defendant to jointly or
severally pay to the claimant the sum of
N1 billion being damages for harm
caused to his political, professional,
business, social and institutional
reputation as a result of the defamation
by willful and scandalous publication of
false statements by the defendants, 3.)
An order directing the defendants to
retract the false and damaging
publication by a letter of apology
directed to claimant and published on
the same media through which the
defamatory publication was circulated
and 4.) An order of court for the cost of
this suit against the defendants.”
Meanwhile, in a similar development,
Senator Obanikoro has hired Tacopina &
Seigel one of New York’s top law firms
reputed for their groundbreaking
defense of celebrity baseball player,
Alex Rodriguez in his case against the
211-game doping suspension slammed
on him by Major League Baseball (MLB).
Tacopina & Seigel is handling Senator
Obanikoro’s case against Sahara
Reporters in New York, United States of
America.
The defendants have 42 days to prepare
their defense and make an appearance
in court to defend themselves in the
Lagos suit.
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