An Anambra State High Court 2 sitting in Awka and presided over by Justice C. C. Okaa, has ordered a titled chief from Nri, Anaocha Local Government Area, Chief Ambrose Obi-Okoye, to pay the sum of ₦15.5m for publishing some defamatory comments on WhatsApp group platforms.
Obi-Okoye had on some village WhatsApp group platforms, made five publications against his kinsman and fellow titled Chief, Godwin Okeke, who was able to establish, the court, that they were injurious to his character and reputation.
Delivering a judgment on Thursday – today, January 16, in the suit no A/366/2020- Chief Godwin Okeke v Chief Obi Okoye, Justice Okaa explained that evidence before the court showed that the statements were defamatory and injurious to the plaintiff (Godwin Okeke), adding that the defendant (Ambrose Obi-Okoye) had no justification to prove innocence.
Accordingly, he ordered the defendant to pay a sum of ₦15m to the plaintiff for defaming his character and an additional ₦500,000 as cost of litigation.
The court also ordered the defendant to tender an apology on the WhatsApp platforms where the said defamatory publications were made, as well as in the village.
Speaking in an interview after the judgment, the counsel to the plaintiff, Chukwuebuka Okeke, represented by ùĥùGideon Egburu, described it as a welcome development and justice well deserved.
He recalled that the plaintiff had demanded that the defendant pay the sum of ₦250m as general damages because of the five (5) libelous publications, an order compelling the defendant to write and tender an unreserved apology to the Plaintiff, and a post-judgment interest at the rate of 15% per annum from the date of judgment until the entire judgment sum is liquidated.
“Lord, a cursory perusal of the plaintiff’s suit would reveal that this is an action in defamation, specifically the tort of libel. The plaintiff has pleaded, with exactitude, the five defamatory statements written about the plaintiff by the defendant and tendered them as exhibits P2, P2A, P2B, P2C and P2D.
“In five publications, across two different Whatsapp platforms, over the course of two years, the defendant maligned the name and reputation of the plaintiff,” Barrister Okeke said.
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