Court Adjourns Case On Orji’s N5b Libel Suit Against Sun Newspaper

An Abia High Court sitting in Ohafia, has adjourned the N5 billion libel suit instituted by Engr. Chinedu Orji against Ebere Wabara and the Sun Publishing Limited to 26th January, 2015 for ruling on applications before it.

Three applications were argued following applications filed by the counsels to the defendants asking the court to strike out the name of Ebere Wabara from the process and to also strike out three other paragraphs of the statement of claim.

In his argument, the leading counsel to the claimant, Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, said the three applications were frivolous and intended to delay the process.

In the three applications, the defence claimed that they did not defame Engr. Chinedu Orji. However, admitted the Sun newspaper had published an apology by Ebere Wabara.

At this point counsel to the claimant, Livy Uzoukwu asked: “The case then is, if you did not defame the person, why go ahead to retract and publish an apology?”

Following the gravity of what counsel to claimant raised, counsel to defendants had to ask the court to strike out those matters which they claimed came after the claimant had filed their action.

According to Uzoukwu, the law did not give them such powers, hence the adjournment for ruling by the trial Judge, Justice Amanze Chikwendu Chioma.

It would be recalled that Engr. Chinedu Orji, the first son of the Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, had dragged The Sun Publishing Limited and Ebere Wabara to court for defamation over a publication in the Sun Newspaper on 10th March, 2014.