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Peoples Democratic Party National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, left and Lai Mohammed, Information Minister.

Rivers State High Court on Thursday found the Federal Government and the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammad guilty of defamation against the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus.

The Court presided over by the state Chief Judge, Hon. Justice A. I. Iyayi-Lamikanra, said that the claimant’s case succeeds and the defendants are jointly and severally liable for the libelous publication made against the claimant.

The Court further directed the Federal Government and Alhaji Mohammad to publish a written apology in favour of Prince Secondus in the newspaper of the 3rd defendant.

The court also made an Order of injunction restraining the defendants whether by themselves, agents or privies from further publishing defamatory statements against the claimant.

It also ordered that the defendants shall pay the sum of N20 million to the claimant as damages.

It would be recalled that the Minister of Information had in March 2018 published a list of some Nigerians he claimed looted the country and included Prince Secondus as one of them.

In a reaction Prince Secondus filed a case in court PHC/1013/2018 claiming that Lai Mohammad’s publication was defamatory and he asked the court to direct him to retract the said publication and apologize in writing.

Prince Secondus had earlier through his lawyer, Emeka Etiaba, SAN, written to the Minister seeking immediate retraction of his name and payment of N1.5b damages within 72 hours failure of which the claimant by a writ of summons filed this suit on the 6th of April 2018 for the following claims:

A declaration that the publication made by the defendant’s against the Claimant (the subject matter of this suit is defamatory)

An order of this Honourable Court directing the defendant’s to retract the said publication and apologize in writing to the claimant for the defamatory publication.

An order of this Honourable Court directing the Defendant’s to publish the retraction and the written apology in all the News and Social Media including but not limited to The Nations Newspaper, This Day Newspaper ,Sun Newspaper, Guardian Newspaper, Punch Newspaper, Nigerian Television Authority, Channels Television among others where the defamatory materials were published.

An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant’s their Agents and privies from further publishing the defamatory publication against the Claimant.

Damages for the sum of N1,500,000,000.00( one billion, five hundred million Naira ) only by the Defendant’s to the Claimant being general damages for humiliation , castigation , verification, attack of his person and integrity by the defamatory publication.

Cost of the suit.
7. And for such further or order or other orders as this Honourable Court may seem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.

Messers Echezona C. Etiaba, SAN, N. J. Asoh, Esq., E. S. Aluzu, Esq., R. C. Keneboh, Esq. and F. E. Obiosio, Esq. appeared for Prince Secondus while D.L. Inko-Tariah, Esq. appeared the Federal Government and Mohammad from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Chinedu Udemba, Esq.
Holding the brief of Victor C. Nwaugo, Esq. appeared for the 3rd defendant.