18th December 2025, NewsOrient, Law And Society, Governance And Development, News

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, sitting in Jabi, Abuja, today, the 18th day of December 2025, restrained Barrister Eze Chikamnayo from further writing, publication, broadcasting and sharing of libelous contents against Governor Alex Chioma Otti of Abia State.

Honourable Justice J. E. Obanor, ruling on Motion on Notice, Motion No: 15807/2025, filed by Governor Otti, granted an Order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining Barrister Eze Chikamnayo, the Defendant/Respondent from “writing, authoring, sharing, circulating, broadcasting, voicing, forwarding and or syndicating the writing and publication of contents defamatory of the Claimant on the Defendant’s Facebook Wall ‘Iyierioba Chikamnayo’ and/or any other social/digital media, pending the determination of the substantive suit, Suit No: FCT/HC/CV/3921/2025.

The Claimant/Applicant had in a Motion on Notice filed by his lawyer, Dr Sonny Ajala SAN, of Deeplaw Associates and brought pursuant to Sections 6 and 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Order 30 Rules 1 & 2 and Order 32 Rule 2 of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (Civil Procedure) Rules 2025 and under the Inherent Jurisdiction of the Court, prayed the court to grant an Order restraining the Defendant from further writing and publicizing of libelous contents against the Claimant/Applicant, pending the determination of the substantive libel suit.

He prayed in the Motion for the following orders:-

“AN ORDER of interlocutory injunction restraining the Defendant/Respondent from writing, authoring, sharing, circulating, broadcasting, voicing, forwarding and/or syndicating the writing and publication of contents defamatory of the Claimant on the Defendants Facebook Wall; Iyierioba Chikamnayo and/or any other social/digital media platforms such as the X, the Instagram, the Telegram, the WhatsApp, the Tiktok, including the traditional media to wit; the newspaper houses, the radio and television pending the determination of the substantive suit that gave rise to this application.

“And for such further order or orders as the Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance of the case.”

The Claimant gave notice to the court that the Grounds of the application are:-

“That the Defendant/Respondent is an internet citizen (netcitizen) who applies his trade including the offensive publications that gave rise to this suit online/digitally with global audience.

“That the wrongful deed of the Defendant/Respondent that gave rise to the suit before the Court was the Defendant/Respondents online offensive publications calling the Claimant/Applicant packaged fraud, confirmed criminal and thief directly and by unmistakable innuendoes by way of caricature, pun, simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia and metonymy such as ALEX OTTHIEF, ALEX OTTIHIEF and the LOOTING GOVERNOR for the recapitalization of his ZIGNATURE BANK to disparage the Claimant/Applicant.

“That the Claimant through his Solicitor, Dr. Sonny Ajala, SAN of the firm of Deeplaw Associates wrote a letter dated October 2, 2025 to the Defendant/Respondent demanding retraction of the offensive online publications.

“That sequel to the refusal of the Defendant/Respondent to accede to the Claimant/Applicants Solicitors letter dated October 2, 2025, the Claimant/Applicant on October 8, 2025 commenced the instant lawsuit against the Defendant/Respondent.

“That on 16/10/2025, sequel to the ex-parte application of the Claimant/Applicant, the Honorable Court made an order for the substituted service by electronic means of the Writ of Summons, the Statement of Claim, the Hearing Summons and other subsequent processes to be filed by the Claimant/Applicant to the Defendant/Respondents advertised Facebook Wall, Iyierioba Chikamnayo and through the Defendants Phone/Whatsapp number-0818-193-3333.

“That on 17/10/2025, the Bailiff of the Honorable Court did accordingly served the Defendant/Respondent the originating process in this cause as directed by the Honourable Court thereby bringing to the knowledge of the Defendant/Respondent the pendency of the instant matter.

“That the Defendant/Respondent in spite of his knowledge of the pending Suit No: FCT/HC/CV/3921/2025 has continued and sustained his publication of offensive materials against the Claimant/Applicant on the Defendant/Respondents Facebook Wall, Iyierioba Chikamnayo.

“That the Defendant/Respondent who is a legal practitioner has defied the legal restraint of the pending Suit No: FCT/HC/CV/3921/2025 which was served on him 16/10/2025 to continue the publication of offensive materials on the Defendants Facebook Wall, Iyierioba Chikamnayo against the Claimant/Applicant as enumerated below:

17/10/2025…ALEX OTTHIEF WILL LOSE BY 2027 AND ABIA STATE WILL REMAIN PEACEFUL.
17/10/2025 ALEX OTTHIEF IS A CONFIRMED BULLY. HE IS OBVIOUSLY JITTERY!!!!
18/10/2025 ALEX OTTHIEF IS INVITING ANARCHY BY INCITING VIOLENCE IN ABIA STATE.
18/10/2025 ALEX OTTHIEF IS A LAZY LOSER!!! THREATS CANNOT SAVE HIM!
20/10/2025 ABIA STATE IS TOO BIG TO BE HIJACKED BY ALEX OTTHIEF!!!! ABIA MUST BE FREE.
28/10/2025NEW ABIA VS OLD ABIA = DIVIDE AND RULE STRATEGY OF ALEX OTTIHIEF.
29/10/2025YOU CANNOT USE FRIVOLOUS LITIGATION AS A MEANS OF EVADING THE TRUTH AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
29/10/2025SUING OR INTIMIDATING OPPOSITION WILL NOT STOP THE TAKE OVER.
30/10/2025OTTIHIEF IS A THIEF.
31/10/2025OTTIHIEF IS FAKE.

“That by reason of items 1 – 8 above, the Defendant/Respondent if not restrained by the Honorable Court will cause the Claimant/Applicant irretrievable erosion of his reputation, expose the Claimant/Applicant to public hate whilst at the same time subject the Court to ridicule pending the hearing and the determination of the substantive suit that gave rise to this application.”

This motion was supported by an Affidavit sworn to by Ifeanyi Michael Agbo, Esq., Male, Adult, Christian and a Nigerian Citizen of Deeplaw Associates.

In his ruling, Hon Justice J. E. Obanor said: “The Court ordered as follows: 1. Having carefully considered the application and all the processes before the Court, and there being no process challenging same, I am satisfied as to the need to grant the Interlocutory Order sought. Motion No M/15807/2025 is hereby granted and the orders are accordingly made as prayed, pending the determination of the substantive suit.”

He adjourned the case to 19th January 2025 for hearing.

~ Published By NewsOrient Network

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