Justice Adeyinka Oyinloye of the Ilorin High Court has ordered the publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore to pay N4 billion as damages to Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.

The order was due to a series of libelous stories published the medium in 2015.

Saraki had sued Sowore following the publication of series of libelous stories against him.

Both Sowore and Sahara Reporters were joined as defendants in the suit marked as KWS/23/2017.

Saraki’s lawyer, Babatunde Olomu told Tribune that the defendants had refused to defend the case despite the service of the summons on them.

Delivering the judgment, the court agreed with Olomu and granted all the reliefs sought by the claimant in the case.

The reliefs granted are as follows: “the sum of N1 billion as general and aggravated damages for libelous words falsely, maliciously and recklessly published by the defendants of and concerning the claimant in the online issue of Sahara Reporters of October 5, 2015 under the caption “Nigeria at 55: Bukola Saraki and 83 Inmates Are Running the Asylum”

“The sum of N1 billion as general and aggravated damages for libelous words falsely, maliciously and recklessly published by the defendants of and concerning the claimant in the online issue of Sahara Reporters of Sahara Reporters of September 20, 2015 under the caption: “A polished Name for political immorality. Time for Saraki to Go!”

“The sum of N1 billion as general and aggravated damages for libelous words falsely, maliciously and recklessly published by the defendants of and concerning the claimant in the online issue of Sahara Reporters of Sahara Reporters of November 09, 2015 under the caption: “Bukola Saraki On a shopping Spree to Buy Judges…Stop Being a Clown And A Coward Man Up, face The Music”

“The sum of N1 billion as general and aggravated damages for libelous words falsely, maliciously and recklessly published by the defendants of and concerning the claimant in the online issue of Sahara Reporters of Sahara Reporters of December 1, 2015 under the caption: “Arms Contract Scandal: Senator Saraki Blackmailed CBN Officials To Pay N250 Million Hush Funds.”

“An order for injunction restraining the defendants from further writing, printing or causing to be written, printed or circulated or otherwise published of the claimant the said, or similar libel.

“An order directing the defendants to remove the offending publications from its website on the internet within three days from the date of judgment and an order directing the defendants to publish an apology to the claimant on its online newspaper and in three other daily newspapers.”