Court awards N500m damage against Ogun traditional ruler for libel against industrialist
An Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta has awarded N500m damage against Gbegande of Ososa, in Odogbolu Local Government Area of the state, Oba Adetoye Mojeed Alatishe after finding him guilty of libel in a suit filed by an industrialist, Alhaji Sulaiman Adegunwa, who is also the chairman of Rite Foods Limited. Oba Alatise […]
An Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta has awarded N500m damage against Gbegande of Ososa, in Odogbolu Local Government Area of the state, Oba Adetoye Mojeed Alatishe after finding him guilty of libel in a suit filed by an industrialist, Alhaji Sulaiman Adegunwa, who is also the chairman of Rite Foods Limited.
Oba Alatise was also ordered to apologise and do a retraction in three national newspapers for the malicious petition against the claimant that was also published by some local media platforms in 2019.
In addition to the N500m damage to be paid by the defendant, a N500,000 cost was awarded as litigation cost in favour of the claimant.
Justice Elizabeth Oluwatosin Osinuga stated that the defamatory petition against the claimant and the publications were demeaning to the claimant’s highly earned reputation.
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The petition was submitted to the then governor of the State, Ibikunle Amosun.
In her ruling, the judge found that the letter was a “Reckless action on the part of the defendant”, which was borne out of “malice.” She therefore held that the publication is defamatory.
But the judge said while there was evidence that the defendant authored the publication, the claimant did not include the publisher of the alleged libelous publication as a necessary party that ought to be joined.
Oba Alatishe had in this letter alleged that “Alhaji Adegunwa at a gathering had promised to demolish the entire Gbengande Market and turn same to a palace, while the present palace will be forcefully turned to a town hall through the office of the Special Adviser on Urban and Physical Planning”.
The traditional ruler warned that “If this threat is not urgently checked and nipped in the bud, it is capable of leading to a monumental breach of peace, serious confrontation and total breakdown of law and order in the community”.
However, Adegunwa prayed the court for a declaration that the words employed by the defendant, the traditional ruler, in his letter of 7th January 2019 constitute libel.
In the judgement, which lasted more than four hours, Justice Osinuga averred that Oba Alatishe relied on hearsay to arrive at the content of the libelous publication.
The judge also held that it was wrong and so unwise for the royal father to have refused to tender an apology knowing fully well that he has no evidence to substantiate his allegations against the industrialist.