The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday admitted several documentary exhibits into evidence, alleging that Hon. Toby Chuks used his Facebook platform to harm Abia State Governor Alex Otti’s “profile as a financial expert,” among other defamatory claims.
Justice A.O. Obong admitted the evidence during the trial in the suit filed by the governor against Chuks in Suit Number FHC/HC/CV/66/2025.
Among other reliefs, the governor is seeking an “order of the Honourable Court directing the Defendant (Chuks) to pay the Claimant general damages of N50,000,000,000.00 (Fifty Billion Naira) only, for loss of reputation, ruptured profile as a financial expert, erosion of goodwill, fractured political leadership standing, diminished public estimation, and psychological and emotional trauma suffered by the Claimant owing to the false and malicious defamatory online news captioned: ‘What Alex Otti Cannot Destroy Does Not Exist: Vol. 1,’ published on 8th December 2024 against the Claimant on the Defendant’s Facebook wall, ‘Hon. Toby Chuks,’ with 6,000 followers.”
Legal Disputes
The governor, through his lawyer Sonny Ajala, SAN, approached the court seeking a declaration that the Claimant (his client) has suffered loss of reputation, respect, goodwill, political standing, and other damages allegedly due to the defendant’s false and malicious defamatory online news captioned: ‘What Alex Otti Cannot Destroy Does Not Exist: Vol. 1,’ published on 8th December 2024 against the Claimant on the Defendant’s Facebook wall, ‘Hon. Toby Chuks,’ with 6,000 followers.
He argued that the Facebook post is allegedly “offensive” and can be accessed globally, to the detriment of his client’s reputation.
He further asked the court to direct the defendant to tender an unreserved apology to the Claimant, to be published on the Defendant’s Facebook wall and in four national newspapers, alongside N150,000,000 being the cost of prosecuting the suit.
The defendant has denied the allegations, paving the way for trial.
What Transpired in Court
At the resumed court session, a businessman who identified himself as a schoolmate of the governor, Architect Uche Jude Uche, appeared to give his testimony.
The defendant and his legal team were not present in court.
- Led in evidence by Ajala, the witness told the court that he had the instruction of the governor to testify in the matter.
- He added that he had deposed to his witness statement on oath in favour of the governor.
- Ajala then asked the witness to confirm if letters demanding a retraction of the said publication were issued to the defendant via his Facebook wall and WhatsApp number, to which he responded in the affirmative.
- Ajala then applied for the letters and associated evidence extracted from the Facebook user’s page, alongside certificates of compliance, to be admitted in evidence.
- Justice Obong admitted the documents as exhibits.
After the exhibits were admitted, Uche urged the court to grant the reliefs sought by the governor.
“I want my witness statement to be used as evidence in this case, and I want the court to grant all the reliefs sought by the plaintiff,” he said.
- Ajala then sought a date for the cross-examination of Uche by the defence legal team.
The matter was adjourned to December 8, 2025, for cross-examination, while hearing notices were ordered to be issued to the parties.
Related Development
This development comes weeks after a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Wuse, Abuja, overruled the objection of a blogger, Sir Don Ubani, regarding documents sought to be tendered in a N5 billion defamation suit instituted by Alex Otti against him.
Justice N.K. Nwosu-Iheme of the FCT High Court overruled the objection of the blogger’s lawyer, S.M. Oluebube, following submissions by Dr. Sonny Ajala, SAN, Otti’s counsel.
In the said publication, the blogger is accused of stating that the governor, through his proxies, bought two near-moribund hotels in Umuahia.
