A Nigerian businessman, Aku Idume has dragged two bloggers and content creators, Agozi Samuel and Ebonyi Son, before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, over alleged libellous publications.
The suit was filed on March 13, 2024, on behalf of Mr Idume, by an Abuja based lawyer and human rights activist, Barrister Samuel Ihensekhien.
In the court papers, the plaintiff decried his portrayal by the defendants as a man of questionable character.
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By the suit, the plaintiff urged the court to declare the various videos publications and other media publications authored by the defendants and circulated on their social media platforms are “libelous, false, malicious, injurious and intended to lower the reputation and integrity of the plaintiff before members of the public.
The plaintiff also prayed the court to order the defendants to retract the injurious publications and tender an unreserved apology to the plaintiff in national dailies within seven days from the date of judgement.
Mr Ihensekhien urged the court to stop the defendants from further publishing libellous contents against his client.
Also, he asked the court to award the sum of N500 million against the defendants in favour of the Plaintiff.
Ihensekhien equally urged the court to award N5 million as cost of prosecution im the suit against the defendants.
Mr Idume said as a member of the Zion Ministry of Evangelism, the defendants’ injurious publications on social media platforms have caused him immeasurable pain.
“The plaintiff avers that the 1st defendant (Agozi Samuel) made cyberbullying and defamatory videos and other posts against the personality of the plaintiff and Evang Ebuka Obi, the founder of Zion Ministry of Evangelism,” the claimant’s stated.
Referencing one of the offending publications, Barrister Ihensekhien said the defendants in a Facebook video post on their various social media handles defamed his client when the claimed that Mr Idume and Evangelist Ebuka Obi contacted a girl in Rivers state to come and perform fake miracle.
Mr Idume lamented that his family members and friends who were active on social media drew his attention to the several defamatory posts against him.
In aid of his case, the plaintiff said he would rely on copies of the various defamatory videos and posts of the defendants which were circulated on the cyberspace.
Meanwhile, the case is yet to be assigned to a judge.
