Imo State High Court will today begin hearing of the N5 billion libel suit the former state governor, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim, slammed against one Chinyere Lilian Amuchienwa, nee Igwegbe, for alleged defamatory and false publications against him.
Ohakim’s lawyer, Chief Aloy Ejimakor, who filed the suit, said that the defendant as the plaintiff’s former mistress, had already issued a summon commanding Amuchienwa’s appearance before it on February 18, 2021.
Ejimakor told The Guardian, yesterday, that the court documents showed that the former governor was urging the court to declare that the defendant’s allegations as published in her PREMIUM TIMES interview and the viral audio she (Amuchienwa) circulated were slanderous, libelous and defamatory of his client.
He said that Ohakim had sought an order of the court directing the defendant to retract the allegations through another interview with same medium; and also retract the audio through making another audio she would circulate through the social media, including particularly WhatsApp Messenger.
According to Ejimakor, his client (Ohakim) also sought an order of court directing the defendant to write and deliver to him (plaintiff) an unreserved letter of apology, which should be prominently and boldly published full-page in two Nigerian newspapers of national circulation, and two newspapers of local circulation in Imo State.
Ejimakor further said that his client (Ohakim) was also urging the court for grant of an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from further and forever uttering the said slanderous and libelous words about or concerning him (the plaintiff).
He said that he had also secured an order of court issued by Justice I. M. Njaka of the state high court for a substituted service to be effected on the defendant.
According to him, in a sworn affidavit in support of the process Ohakim deposed, he remained a member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) until November 2006 when he became a member of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), under which platform he contested and won election, and was sworn into office as the Executive Governor of Imo State on May 29, 2007.
Ejimakor narrated that his client (Ohakim) “met the defendant in Arondizuogu, Imo State, in November 2018, and how a money claim he has against Amuchienwa got to a point where she became hostile and resorted to various acts of slander, libel, defamation, intimidation, threats and even assault, which became unbearable to the point that he (plaintiff) petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on January 20, 2020 and the IGP commenced investigation thereof.”
