COURT ADJOURNS ORJI'S LIBEL CASE AGAINST SUN NEWSPAPERS TO NOVEMBER 11

By Nnaji Obed Asiegbu Obedng

AN Abia State High Court sitting in Ohafia and presided over by Justice Amanze Chikwendu Chioma has fixed November 11, 2013, for hearing in the libel suit instituted by the first son of Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, Engr. Chinedu Orji against the SUN Newspapers and Ebere Wabara.

The adjournment followed two motions filed by lawyer to the Defendants, Mr. A. C. Arinze to the effect that the second Defendant, Wabara was not served with the court processes.

Though lawyers to the claimant led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, did not object the motions, he however told the court that they were “calculated attempt by the defendants to stall hearing in the matter."

Uzoukwu complained that the motions which dated July 9th, 2014 and September 17th, respectively, were only served them on September 29, an action he said was part of the effort to frustrate the matter from proceeding.

But Arinze in his reply said that they did not have any plan to stall proceedings of the matter and blamed the late service on location of the claimant's counsel which he said was outside the court's jurisdiction.

Before adjourning the matter, Justice Chioma told the claimant's lawyers to provide an address within jurisdiction for easy service of processes to them.

Chinedu, an engineer, has in Suit No. HON/5/2014 dragged the newspaper to court for allegedly calling him “a terrorist” who was involved in “terrorist's activities” in one of its articles on its March 10th 2014 edition, saying that the meaning was that he is a law breaker and a criminal.

In the suit the Claimant is therefore claiming the sum of N5 billion as damages for libel and an unreserved apology to be published at least three editions of the newspaper.

He is also asking for an Order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants or their agents from further writing or publishing the said libelous matter or similar one against him.