N6b defamation: Supreme Court rules in favour of Odili

Dismisses Dakuku Peterside’s suit seeking to set aside defamation against ex-governor, Peter Odili

The Supreme Court of Nigeria, on Friday, dismissed a suit filed by the former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside.

to set aside N6 billion damages awarded against him for defaming the character of former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili.

Ruling on the case, prepared by Justice Adamu Augie, which was delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro, the suit by Dakuku Peterside was thrown away for lack of merit.

According to the Supreme Court, the decisions of the lower courts which imposed the damages against Peterside to N6 billion to Odili as compensation for his defamed character were in order.

The former Rivers State Governor, Odili in October 2016, approached a High Court demanding N6 billion as damages for character defamation against the embattled Peterside.

Odili in the suit claimed that Peterside during a press conference in Port Harcourt defamed him in his allegations that Governor Nyesom Wike’s Supreme Court victory was hatched by him.

He made the claims based on the fact that the retired Judge of the Supreme Court, wife to Mr Odili, Mrs Mary Odili, was then a justice of the Supreme Court.