Online news website, Sahara Reporters, has asked a Kwara state high court to set aside the judgment which awarded N4 billion to Senate President Bukola Saraki in a libel suit.

Reference:

• The N4 billion was awarded by the court after Sahara Reporters was found guilty of defamation.
• In July, Sikiru Adeyinka Oyinloye, the judge who heard the case, had also ordered the ordered the freezing of two accounts domiciled in UBA and GTB linked to the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Owoyele Sowore.
• Sowore accused Saraki of “fraudulently procuring” the order which froze his accounts. He also alleged that the senate president conspired with his associates to send court summons to wrong addresses in order to prevent him from defending himself.
• The Senate President, however, insisted that Sowore would pay the N4 billion.

And now…

• In a motion on notice, Sahara Reporters and its publisher are asking the court to grant an order setting aside the entire proceedings in the suit. It said the court lacked the jurisdiction to have entertained the suit.
• The motion filed on behalf of Sahara Reporters and its publisher by Falana & Falana Chambers argued that the website could not be sued because it was not a legal entity.
• They faulted Saraki’s motion on notice for final judgment which they said had different signatures.
• While an affidavit in support of the motion was deposed by one A.D. Ahmed, a lawyer with Tunde Olomu & Co, the law firm on record for the senate president is Paul Erokoro & Co, lawyers of Sahara Reporters and its publisher argued.
• They said that they only recognised a lawyer from Tunde Olomu & Co. who argued Saraki’s motion on notice in court as there was nowhere in the court proceedings where the senate president changed his lawyers.
• Lawyers to Sahara Reporters said they were unable to get copies of the judgment from the court after applying for it.
• They explained that the delay in challenging the judgment of the court was because the defendants only became aware of it after it was reported in the media.

Omoleye Omoruyi

Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram