By Ani Bassey
Oliver Orok, an aide to the Cross River State governor Prof. Ben Ayade has dragged an online publisher and journalist, Agba Jalingo to court.
Orok, who is also the state Commissioner for Sustainable Development, alleges that Jalingo has brought his reputation to disrepute.
Also joined in the suit which is listed as HC/95/2021 alongside with Mr. Jalingo, is his media outfit “CrossRiver watch”, and Mr. Usahang Ewa, reporter of the story with a caption, “Calabar: Ayade’s Aide Pressurized Police to Release Notorious Gangster, CY”.
Piqued by the report, Mr. Orok is seeking 5.1 billion naira as damages for the publication.
He said that through the publication, many of his associates had avoided and shunned him both in government and in his personal enterprises.
In a writ of summon at the High Court of Cross River State ,Calabar Judicial Division,Holden at Calabar, presided over by His Lordship, Hon. Justice Maurice Eneji, Orok pleaded for an an order of injunction restraining defendants, Jalingo, Ushang Ewa and CrossRiver watch from further defaming his character.
Orok also wants the defendants to tender an apology to be published on the front pages of four national dailies that widely circulated including his online media outfit CrossRiver watch.
Counsel to the Claimants, Ayei Okpa of the Kanu Agabi’s Chambers faulted the idea of causing the conviction of a person in the public.
He maintained that in the instant case, Mr Jalingo seems not to be helping matters as rather than admit that he goofed , Jalingo had continued in the vice against which he had been sued to court by further defaming his client.
Okpa stressed that Jalingo’s conduct has made it even more pertinent that the court should be invited to come to his client’s rescue in order to salvage what remains of his client’s already damaged image.
However, counsel to Mr. Jalingo, First Baba Ahmed of FBI and Legal Abuja, said his client has done nothing wrong and they are still studying the process and waiting for time to reply.
10 filling stations sealed by DPR in Taraba
“The onus is on him to proof that his character has been defamed. We have about 30 days to reply and that is when we would be given a date.
” What I see here is that his character has not been defame in any way. It is not a firing squad. Very soon we are going to file our respond in court that is the position now”, he said.
