Alleged N40b defamation: Court orders substituted service suit on Wike

By Vivian Okejeme Abuja

Justice M. A Hassan of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Gwarinpa, Tuesday, ordered the service of a N40 billion defamation suit on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, by substituted means.

Ruling in an ex-parte application, the court specifically ordered that the applicant should paste the writ of summons, statement of claims, witness statement on oath, hearing notice and the entire court documents, on the gate of headquarters of the FCT, in Garki, Abuja.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, applicant’s lawyer, Mr Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, narrated the inability to serve the court summons on the Wike and prayed that the court permits the plaintiff to serve the court’s documents through substituted service.

Having granted the request, Justice Hassan fixed March 24 and 25, 2026 for hearing in the suit number CV/4502/25.

The plaintiff, a former candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 governorship election in Rivers State, Mr Tonye Patrick Cole, had dragged the FCT Minister and Channels Incorporated Limited to court, over alleged defamation.

Cole is seeking N40 billion in damages over alleged defamatory statements made by Wike during a live broadcast on Channels TV’s “Politics Today” on September 18.

According to the writ of summons and the attached statement of claim, Cole alleged that Wike’s statements during a live broadcast on Channels TV’s “Politics Today” on September 18, were false, malicious, offensive, and damaging to his reputation in personal, professional, and public capacities.

Court documents indicate that Mr Wike referred to Mr Cole in a manner suggesting financial impropriety and mismanagement of state resources, including allegations related to Rivers State gas and the Olympia Hotel.

Mr Cole’s legal team, led by Jibrin Okutepa SAN, argued that the statements are defamatory, as they impute dishonesty and wrongdoing, gravely injuring his client’s standing both nationally and internationally.

The claimant is seeking N40 billion for alleged damages resulting from what he described as a “malicious, reckless, and unfounded defamatory broadcast and publications,” which caused him injury, humiliation, mental anguish, and reputational harm.

Mr Cole is also seeking N500 million for the cost of the legal action, as well as several injunctive and declaratory reliefs. These include a declaration that the statements were false and defamatory, an order directing the defendants to retract the claims and remove all copies from all platforms, and a public apology broadcast on Channels TV and published in at least five national newspapers.

The claimant also seeks a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing or disseminating defamatory material related to him.

Mr Cole’s legal team said a pre-action notice and letter of demand dated 8 October were served on both Mr Wike and Channels Television, but the defendants failed to comply, prompting the initiation of court proceedings.

The court has directed the defendants to enter an appearance within 21 days of service of the writ.