Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai has sued former media aide to former President, Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri; ex-Chairman of the Council of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chidi Odinkalu and others, alleging defamation.
In separate suits filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Teeritory (FCT) by his lawyer, Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN), el-Rufai also named Thisday newspaper, Daniel Elombah, Elombah Communications, Barrister Joseph Onu and Auta Nyada as defendants.
In one of the suits, el-Rufai claimed that statements contained in certain publication titled: “El Rufai’s email saying southern women youth corpers are seen as whores,” by Omokri, which was published by Thisday newspaper on Sunday 14th of June 2020 is injurious to his reputation, adding that it is “malicious, unwarranted and defamatory”.
The governor is seeking N500 million in compensation and an apology to be published in the newspaper.
In another suit directed at Odinkalu, Daniel Elombah and Elombah Communications, el- Rufai is claiming that a publication titled: “Litany of 25 critics who have suffered at El Rufai’s hands compiled by Chidi Odinkalu,” which was published in Elombah.com on Wednesday September 2, 2020 is “malicious, unlawful and without any justification.”
He is equally seeking N500million in damages and apology for the said “defamatory and greatly injurious to his reputation.”
The governor stated that a letter written by Jospen Onu and dated August 19, 2020, titled: “Request to withdraw the offer of platform at the 2020 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Malam Nasir El Rufai” addressed to Prof. Koyinsola Ajayi, SAN, in his capacity as the Chairman, Technical Committee on Conference Planning (TCCP) Nigerian Bar Association and copied to Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, Chairman, Board of Trustee, Nigerian Bar Association and Mr. Olumide Akpata, the then President-Elect of the NBA and published in the media, is “defamatory and greatly injurious to the reputation of the claimant.”
He is also seeking an apology and N500 million in damages.
No date has been fixed for the hearing.
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