By Vivian Okejeme
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sued President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide, Lauretta Onochie, before the federal high court Abuja, over fabricated offensive electronic messages.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, in the last general election, said Mrs Onochie’s fabricated stories caused him mental and psychological trauma.
He demanded for N2.5billion
for the damages the post she shared through her twitter handle on May 7 and on Facebook on May 20 caused him.
The former Vice president told the court that Onochie levelled series of “baseless allegations” against him on twitter and facebook, to the extent that his hard-earned reputation and all that he laboured for over the years, was destroyed.
In a witness statement on oath he personally deposed to before the court, Atiku, decried that all the alleged disparaging social media posts against him came at a time he was challenging President Buhari’s re-election before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal Tribunal, insisting that Onochie’s action was “accentuated by malice and bad faith”.
In a libel suit he filed through his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, the former VP demanded for N2.5billion representing general, aggravated, punitive and exemplary damages over the untold embarrassment, derision, public ridicule, odium, obloquy, marital disharmony, mental agony and psychological trauma which the Defendant’s publications have caused him.
According to Atiku, Onochie had in the said post, portrayed him as someone on the watch list of security operatives in the United Arab Emirates, and who had travelled to shop for terrorists in the Middle East.
He maintained that his public image was battered by the allegation to the extent that he was regarded as a security threat both within and outside the country.
He said he would in the course of the hearing, tender call logs showing an avalanche of text messages and calls he received in the aftermath of Onochie’s posts.
“That I am the Claimant in this suit and by virtue of which I am seized with the facts deposed herein.
‘I am an astute politician, a businessman and a philanthropist and former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That I am a notable and a respected personality in my community, Nigeria and the World at large, a distinguished Elder Statesman, who has served the Nigerian people, the Federal Government of Nigeria and humanity in various capacities.
“I had a sterling career in the political sector.
“That sometime in May 2019, I embarked on a foreign trip to the United Arabs Emirates (UAE), as I have done over the years.
“That while still in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the said trip, the Defendant on 7th day of May, 2019, through her twitter handle page, which is linked to, and belongs to the Defendant, published a most libellous story about me on her said twitter and also published same globally online on the social and other print media and electronic media, making the following false and unfounded allegations against me.
“Atiku on UAE watchlist-Security sources Security operatives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are keeping a close tab on a former Nigerian Vice Pres Atiku Abubakar who has been in the Middle East nation for several weeks now What is he doing there? Me: Shopping for Terrorists?”.
“That in the said defamatory publication against me made by the defendant on 7th May 2019, the defendant amongst other baseless allegations falsely and maliciously accused me of being on the watch list of Security Operatives in the United Arabs Emirates (UAE).
“The defendant further falsely accused me of shopping for terrorists in the Middle East, thereby portraying me as an evil man, mentor of terrorists, someone who has links with terrorists, and a person who is interested in destabilizing the peace and unity of Nigeria. The publication also portrayed me as a security threat and terrorist to right-thinking members of the public and the society at large.
“That since the 7th day of May 2019, when the said libellous and offensive electronic message vide twitter, was sent and also published globally online `in the social and other print media, the odious publication has clearly rubbished my image and reputation.
“It has caused me national and international backlash and embarrassment and has done incalculable damage to me.
