By Vivian Okejeme Abuja
An Abuja-based lawyer, Nkem Okoro Esq, has dragged Prof Chidi Odinkalu, over alleged defamatory publications against him after he cautioned him against criticizing the judiciary.
Okoro alleged that the publication caused him embarrassment, public odium, ridicule, derision, obloquy, mental agony and psychological trauma.
He therefore, wants the Federal High Court Sitting in Abuja to award the sum of N1 billion in damages against the law teacher and social critic.
In the fundamental right suit, the petitioner wants an order of the court compelling Odinkalu and the publisher of Law and Society magazine, Lillian Okenwa to tender an apology to him in seven national dailies
Further, Okoro demands the sum of N20 million being the cost of the litigation and N10 million general, aggravated, punitive and exemplary damages for the publication and “an interest on the entire judgment sum, at the rate of 20% per annum, commencing from the date of delivery of judgment till the entire judgment sum is fully liquidated.”
Okoro wants the court to declare that the statements made by Odinkalu and Okenwa on October 3 via his X handle, @ChidiOdinkalu and the Law and Society website titled, “Odinkalu unveils Nkem Okoro’s excursion on judicial breach”, concerning and touching on his person and integrity, is false, unfounded, malicious, vindictive and libellous of him and injurious to his reputation, in his credit and character.
According to the lawyer, Professor Odinkalu was motivated to avenge his “anger against the person of the claimant” after he had on August 13 cautioned him over his criticism of Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the FCT High Court, who restricted the movement of organizers of the #EndBadGovernance Protest to the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja.
Okoro explained that Odinkalu’s publication misrepresented to the general reading public that he was indicted by the Legal Practitioner’s Disciplinary Committee over a matter of double representation involving a visually challenged client, “which the Nigeria Bar Association, had investigated and dismissed for lacking merit, after consideration of a petition written by Ogbonna Paul Arochukwu, as it pertains to the facts and circumstances to which you gave a distorted narrative, just to malign my person, in vengeance of my earlier stern warning, asking you to desist from insulting the nation’s judiciary.”
No date has been fixed for the hearing.
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