An Ogun State High Court in Isabo, Abeokuta, on Friday, awarded N500m in damages against the Gbengande of Ososa Ijebu in the Odogbolu Local Government Area, Oba Adetoye Alatishe, for defaming the character and integrity of the Chairman of Rite Foods, Dr Sulaiman Adegunwa.
The court also ordered Oba Alatishe to publish an apology and retraction of the libelous publication in three national newspapers; The PUNCH, The Nation and This Day.
Justice E. Osinuga of the court equally awarded N500,000 as cost of litigation against the monarch as well as an order of perpetual injunction restraining the monarch from ever maligning the reputation of the industrialist.
The suit registered 4CJ/205/19 and dated November 25, 2019 was filed by the industrialist over what he considered as defaming and defamatory petition letter Oba Alatishe reportedly wrote against him to former governor Ibikunle Amosun on January 7, 2019.
Oba Alatishe’s letter was said to have been published in City People magazine of August 7, 2019 and Obanta Newsday of August 2019.
Having considered the publication as baseless accusation, Adegunwa said his lawyers wrote the monarch demanding an apology and a retraction of same in three national newspapers but the traditional ruler refused.
He explained that he was however forced to seek redress in court given the calculated damage the publication had done to his image as an industrialist and philanthropist of note.
Adegunwa had prayed the court for “a declaration that the words employed by the defendant in his letter of 7th January 2019 and his publication and republication in the City People Magazine Edition of 7th August 2019 and the Obanta Newsday of August 2019 constitute libel against the Claimant.”
Other reliefs sought by Adegunwa included N5bn exemplary damages, and an order of perpetual injunction restraining the monarch from perpetrating or carrying out any disparaging/libelous publication against the Claimant.”
Justice Osinuga, while giving her judgment said, “When the Kabiyesi was asked of how he came about the information as contained in the letter, he said some people told him, yet Kabiyesi was not ready to disclose these people”.
The judge also held that it was wrong and so unwise for the monarch to have refused to tender an apology knowing fully well that he had no evidence to substantiate his allegations against the industrialist.
Justice Osinuga held that a defamatory case had been strongly established against the monarch and therefore ruled in favour of the claimant, Adegunwa.
