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Alleged Libel: The National Editorial Board Chairman, Omatseye Drags The Sun Publishing Limited to Court

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Alleged Libel The National Editorial Board Chairman, Omatseye Drags The Sun Publishing Limited to Court
Alleged Libel The National Editorial Board Chairman, Omatseye Drags The Sun Publishing Limited to Court
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Alleged Libel: The National Editorial Board Chairman, Omatseye Drags The Sun Publishing Limited to Court

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF LAGOS STATE   IKEJA JUDICIAL DIVISION SUIT NO: ID/ADR/223/15   BETWEEN: SAM OMATSEYE … CLAIMANT AND THE SUN PUBLISHING LIMITED … DEFENDANT     —   STATEMENT OF CLAIM   1. The Claimant chairs The Nation newspaper’s Editorial Board. He holds a History degree from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University).     2. The Defendant owns and publishes Daily Sun, a widely read newspaper in Nigeria and abroad.         —   CLAIMANT’S CREDENTIALS   3. The Claimant is a poet, playwright, novelist, journalist, and columnist with years of experience. He has excelled in all these fields.     4. He has lectured at Metropolitan State College, the University of Colorado, and the University of Denver in the U.S.     5. In 1991, he became the first Commonwealth journalist to win the Gordon N. Fisher Fellowship by the Southam Foundation, Toronto.     6. He later won the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship in the U.S. During this period, he received the Scripps Howard Prize for deadline reporting with Rocky Mountain News in Denver.     7. He also won the Scribes in Excellence Prize for feature writing from the Association of Black Journalists, U.S.     8. In Nigeria, he won the Nigeria Merit Award four times: once as Reporter of the Year and three times as Columnist of the Year.     9. He won the Diamond Award for Media Excellence three times in the informed category.     10. He serves on the Governing Council of Lagos State University and is an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters.     11. He has received several national and international awards for his career and is recognized as a strong voice against corruption.         —   LIBEL AGAINST THE CLAIMANT   12. On October 13, 2015, the Defendant published in Daily Sun the headline: “CALL OMATSEYE TO ORDER, KALU TELLS TINUBU… SAYS THE NATION EMBARRASSMENT TO JOURNALISM.”     13. On page 7, the Defendant expanded the attack, describing the Claimant as unprofessional, untrained, rascally, a “defense dog,” and one with “bovine intelligence.” The publication also alleged he disgraced himself and attacked respected families while seeking political favor.     14. The Claimant will rely on this edition of Daily Sun at trial.         —   MEANING OF DEFAMATORY WORDS   15. Readers understood the words to mean that the Claimant is:       A fraud and impostor.   A dishonest sycophant.   A dangerous mudslinger.   A corrupt and uncivilized person.     16. The publication reached millions of readers, especially in Nigeria, where the Claimant has family, colleagues, and associates.     17. The defamatory words injured his reputation, integrity, and credit. They exposed him to ridicule, contempt, and public scandal.         —   PUBLICATION   18. The Defendant circulated the libel in its normal business and sold copies to the public.     19. Daily Sun circulates in Lagos, across Nigeria, and abroad.     20. The Defendant also runs an online platform that spreads its publications worldwide.     21. The Defendant acted with malice to damage the Claimant’s reputation and goodwill.     22. The Defendant knew the allegations were false, baseless, and unsubstantiated.     23. After the publication, the Claimant received numerous calls from colleagues, international partners, organizations, friends, and religious leaders. They expressed shock, disgust, and doubt about his integrity.     24. The allegations remain false, malicious, and intended to destroy his reputation.         —   PARTICULARS OF MALICE   (a) The allegations are false. (b) The Defendant did not verify them. (c) The Defendant gave the Claimant no chance to reply. (d) The sensational headline shows intent to damage his image.   25. The defamatory words were published recklessly and with knowledge of their falsity.     26. The Claimant has suffered severe reputational harm. If unrestrained, the Defendant will publish more attacks.         —   RELIEFS SOUGHT   The Claimant seeks:   1. A declaration that the publication of October 13, 2015, is libelous.     2. An order for N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) damages.     3. An order directing the Defendant to retract the words and publish an unreserved apology.     4. A perpetual injunction stopping the Defendant and its agents from further defamatory publications.     5. Any other reliefs the Court deems fit.         —   ⚖️ Filed this 22nd day of October, 2015, by Festus Keyamo, Esq., and Uchenna B. Moneke, Esq., Counsel to the Claimant.     —   WouHere’s a tightened version of the news article with passive voice removed and sentence length shortened. I’ve preserved the legal tone but made it clearer and more direct:     —   IN THE HIGH COURT OF LAGOS STATE   IKEJA JUDICIAL DIVISION SUIT NO: ID/ADR/223/15   BETWEEN: SAM OMATSEYE … CLAIMANT AND THE SUN PUBLISHING LIMITED … DEFENDANT     —   STATEMENT OF CLAIM   1. The Claimant chairs The Nation newspaper’s Editorial Board. He holds a History degree from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University).     2. The Defendant owns and publishes Daily Sun, a widely read newspaper in Nigeria and abroad.         —   CLAIMANT’S CREDENTIALS   3. The Claimant is a poet, playwright, novelist, journalist, and columnist with years of experience. He has excelled in all these fields.     4. He has lectured at Metropolitan State College, the University of Colorado, and the University of Denver in the U.S.     5. In 1991, he became the first Commonwealth journalist to win the Gordon N. Fisher Fellowship by the Southam Foundation, Toronto.     6. He later won the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship in the U.S. During this period, he received the Scripps Howard Prize for deadline reporting with Rocky Mountain News in Denver.     7. He also won the Scribes in Excellence Prize for feature writing from the Association of Black Journalists, U.S.     8. In Nigeria, he won the Nigeria Merit Award four times: once as Reporter of the Year and three times as Columnist of the Year.     9. He won the Diamond Award for Media Excellence three times in the informed category.     10. He serves on the Governing Council of Lagos State University and is an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters.     11. He has received several national and international awards for his career and is recognized as a strong voice against corruption.         —   LIBEL AGAINST THE CLAIMANT   12. On October 13, 2015, the Defendant published in Daily Sun the headline: “CALL OMATSEYE TO ORDER, KALU TELLS TINUBU… SAYS THE NATION EMBARRASSMENT TO JOURNALISM.”     13. On page 7, the Defendant expanded the attack, describing the Claimant as unprofessional, untrained, rascally, a “defense dog,” and one with “bovine intelligence.” The publication also alleged he disgraced himself and attacked respected families while seeking political favor.     14. The Claimant will rely on this edition of Daily Sun at trial.         —   MEANING OF DEFAMATORY WORDS   15. Readers understood the words to mean that the Claimant is:       A fraud and impostor.   A dishonest sycophant.   A dangerous mudslinger.   A corrupt and uncivilized person.     16. The publication reached millions of readers, especially in Nigeria, where the Claimant has family, colleagues, and associates.     17. The defamatory words injured his reputation, integrity, and credit. They exposed him to ridicule, contempt, and public scandal.         —   PUBLICATION   18. The Defendant circulated the libel in its normal business and sold copies to the public.     19. Daily Sun circulates in Lagos, across Nigeria, and abroad.     20. The Defendant also runs an online platform that spreads its publications worldwide.     21. The Defendant acted with malice to damage the Claimant’s reputation and goodwill.     22. The Defendant knew the allegations were false, baseless, and unsubstantiated.     23. After the publication, the Claimant received numerous calls from colleagues, international partners, organizations, friends, and religious leaders. They expressed shock, disgust, and doubt about his integrity.     24. The allegations remain false, malicious, and intended to destroy his reputation.     PARTICULARS OF MALICE   (a) The allegations are false. (b) The Defendant did not verify them. (c) The Defendant gave the Claimant no chance to reply. (d) The sensational headline shows intent to damage his image.   25. The defamatory words were published recklessly and with knowledge of their falsity.     26. The Claimant has suffered severe reputational harm. If unrestrained, the Defendant will publish more attacks.   RELIEFS SOUGHT   The Claimant seeks:   1. A declaration that the publication of October 13, 2015, is libelous.     2. An order for N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) damages.     3. An order directing the Defendant to retract the words and publish an unreserved apology.     4. A perpetual injunction stopping the Defendant and its agents from further defamatory publications.   5. Any other reliefs the Court deems fit. ⚖️ Filed this 22nd day of October, 2015, by Festus Keyamo, Esq., and Uchenna B. Moneke, Esq., Counsel to the Claimant.    

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