Fatshimetrie and three other parties have filed a N1 billion suit against Ikeji for defamation and slander. Among the applicants were registered members of the NBM of Africa, Ese Kakor, Felix Kupa and Mayor Onyebueke.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Roli Daibo-Harriman also awarded N300,000 as litigation costs against the Nigerian blogger. The court also ordered Ikeji to publish an article on his blog and in national newspapers retracting the defamatory publication in question.
Additionally, the judge ordered Ikeji to refrain from making further prejudicial publications against the plaintiffs and members of the NBM of Africa.
In his judgment, Justice Daibo-Harriman clearly described the terms “feared cultist group”, “black axis”, “criminal organisation” and others used by the defendant in her defamatory publication as defamatory.
The blogger, in her October 19, 2021 post, allegedly called the NBM of Africa a feared cultist group, black axis, criminal organization and other names.
Therefore, the plaintiffs prayed the court to award them N1 billion and an unreserved apology to be published on its blog and in two national newspapers, among others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant was not present in court and was not represented. Speaking to reporters shortly after the hearing took place, the plaintiffs’ lead lawyer, Kelvin Agbroko, said it was a well-deserved judgment.
“This will serve as a lesson to bloggers: you should not publish everything that comes into your head. It is good to verify the information before publishing.
“The NBM of Africa is a legal organization duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
“The publication made by the defendant against my client was considered a harmful publication.
“The NBM is in good standing, we will take all necessary measures to enforce the terms of the judgment against it.
“It was an erudite, all-inclusive judgment and it will be difficult to dispute that,” Agbroko said.
Also reacting to the judgment, NBM of Africa President Ese Kakor said the case had been going on for about two years.
He said the ruling was a warning to bloggers and members of the public not to name people or organizations with names not attributed to them in order to defame or discredit them.
“What Ikeji did was simply to smear the reputation of the NBM of Africa, it is incorrect.
“I advised another blogger not to take the same path as he too could face similar charges.
“Don’t try to defame people’s reputation. The NBM has nothing to do with cultism, black ax. It is not a criminal organization but a registered organization,” he said.