The Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has foreclosed further comments and discussions on the subject matter of the N2bn libel case instituted by Dr. Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminialayi Fubara, against the immediate past Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke and Channels Television.
The presiding judge, Dr. Jumbo Stephens, in a copy of an order dated April 10 directed the parties not to make comments, statements or any manner of representation to the public or whomsoever relating to the subject matter of the suit until the case is determined by the court.
The judge also adjourned the matter to June 4th for mention and further proceedings.
Ehie had filed a N2bn libel suit against Nwaeke and Channels Incorporated Limited following the recent allegations of Nwaeke televised by Channels TV that he was the mastermind of the inferno that engulfed and destroyed the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex among others.
Ehie in the suit is praying the court to award him N2bn as general damages saying that the defendants on March 29th without cause or occasion made the allegations thereby seriously injuring his credit, character and reputation.
He said the publication by the defendants brought him into public scandal, odium, contempt of his person, character and integrity and lowered him in the estimation of right-thinking members of the public and society.
He described the said publication as false and most disparaging of his person to the knowledge and understanding on the defendants.
Ehie further prayed the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants forthwith either by themselves, agents, privies, workers or however from further publication or from further publishing or from further continuing to publish or circulating either to the general public or to any manner of persons, howsoever the said malicious and libelous document subject matter of the suit and or such similar documents concerning the person of the claimant.
He asked the court to issue “an order for immediate retraction of the said publication and an apology to the claimant by the defendants for the said invidious and libelous publication forthwith and same to be widely publicized in the second defendant’s (Channels TV) television network, another television network and two newspapers with nationwide leadership in Nigeria.
The court issued an order of substituted service on the defendants and granted Ehie the leave to serve the originating and other processes in the suit on the first defendant (George Nwaeke) by pasting same at the entrance of his residence at No 10 Olumeni Street, Old GRA, Port Harcourt.
The judge also ordered that the originating processes should be served on Nwaeke via publication in a daily newspaper having nationwide circulation including Abuja, FCT.
The post Court Gags Parties In Fubara’s Aide’s N2bn Libel Suit Against Ex-Head Of Service, Channels TV appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.