Godwin Tsa, Abuja

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has stopped Edo government from further publishing defamatory statements against a business man, Capt. Idahosa Okunbo.

The restraining order issued byJustice Suleiman Belgoreis also binding on some officials of the state government

The Attorney General of the state is the first defendant while Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser, Media and Communi- cation Strategy, Edo State Government is second defendant.

The order is sequel to a N4 billion libel suit filed against the defendants by Capt. Okunbo being aggravated and exem- plary damages for the embarrassment, inconvenience, losses and damages done to his person, character and interests, as a result of the defendants’ libellous publications of 20 July.

Justice Belgore also restrained the defendants, “whether acting through the first defendant and or 2nd defendant, its agents, representatives, officers, servants, proxies, assigns, trustees or any other person howsoever described, acting directly or indirectly for the Edo State Government, from publishing, causing to be published, circulating, further publishing, reporting or publicising the publication captioned ‘Okunbo, Oshiomhole making plans to disrupt Edo Governorship Elections,’ and or any other related defamatory publication by any means whatsoever, including publications by/ on print, electronic and social media platforms.”

Okunbo had through his counsel, Dr. Adedapo Olanikpekun (SAN), approached the court seeking for order restraining the defendants by themselves, agents, representatives, officers, servants, proxies, assigns, trustees or any other person, howsoever described, acting directly or indirectly for them from publishing, causing to be published, circulating, further publishing, reporting or publicising the publication captioned ‘Okunbo, Oshiomhole making plans to disrupt Edo Governorship Elections,’ and or any other related defamatory publication by any means whatsoever, including publications by/on print, electronic and social media platforms including publications in The PUNCH and THISDAY newspapers.

Besides the N4 billion claim for damages, the claimant is seeking for N50 million as cost of legal representation/action.