By Jimoh Babatunde
The Kogi State High Court has awarded N1 billion in damages to former governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, in a defamation suit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
In its judgment in suit No. HCL/16/2023, the court resolved all issues for determination in favour of Bello, holding that the claimant successfully proved his case on the balance of probabilities.
The court ruled that an interview granted by the senator on November 4, 2022, on The Morning Show, a programme aired on Arise TV, was defamatory and damaging to Bello’s reputation.
According to the court, the defendant’s description of the former governor as a “murderer,” “killer,” and “perpetrator of evil acts” was unjustified and constituted a violation of his character.
Consequently, the court issued a perpetual injunction restraining the senator, her agents, or associates from making further defamatory statements against Bello on any broadcast platform.
In addition to the injunction, the court awarded the sum of N1 billion as damages in favour of the former governor.
The case, filed in 2023, initially faced a jurisdictional challenge by the defence, which argued that the suit amounted to an abuse of court process. However, Bello’s counsel countered that related matters before the FCT High Court did not involve the claimant directly.
The High Court upheld its jurisdiction, a decision later affirmed by the Court of Appeal in appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024, which dismissed the senator’s appeal for lacking merit.
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