Defamation: Court Adjourns Indefinitely On Odili’s Suit Against Peterside

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, yesterday adjourned sine dine hearing on a defamation suit brought against the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, by former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili.

Odili had, in the N6 billion suit, alleged defamation of his character by Peterside, who was the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections in the state, following a statement credited to defendant when he held a press conference after Governor Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike’s Supreme Court victory.

He insisted that the NIMASA boss had alleged in the press conference, that Wike, during his victory thanksgiving service, allegedly stated that Odili helped him to secure the Supreme Court victory.

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In her ruling when the matter came up yesterday, the presiding judge and Chief Justice of Rivers State, Hon. Justice Adama  Iyayi-Laminkara, said the indefinite adjournment followed an appeal files by Peterside at the Court of Appeal challenging the decision of the High Court to dismiss his application to stop the libel suit brought against him.

Laminkara said the Court can only resume hearing on the matter when the Court of Appeal had ruled on the appeal by the defendant.

Recall that the presiding judge had while dismissing Peterside’s application said the claim by the defendant that he was served notice of the suit through a wrong address did not hold water as there was no different between the address of the defendant and the address where the notice was served.

Laminkara also ruled that the Court has jurisdiction to hear the suit and awarded a cost of N40,000 against the defendant.

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