By Babs Oyetoro
The Supreme Court yesterday fixed May 27, 2022, for ruling on a N6 billion character defamation suit instituted against a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, by an ex-governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili.
The apex court also fixed the same date for judgment in a suit by former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi seeking to stop his probe in alleged N96bn fraud and alleged fraudulent sales of valued assets belonging to Rivers State.
In the case of Peterside, the Supreme Court fixed the May 27 judgement date after taking final arguments for and against the suit.
Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who led a five-man panel of justices of the court that heard the matter, announced that a final decision on the defamation of character suit would be known on May 27.
Odili had in October 2016 dragged Peterside to court demanding N6 billion as damages for character defamation.
In the suit, the former Rivers State governor had 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.
During yesterday’s proceedings, the lead counsel for Odili, Kanu Agabi (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the appeal by Peterside and enter judgment in favour of his client.
However, Damian Okoro, counsel to Dakuku Peterside, asked the apex court to allow the appeal and set aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal in the N6bn defamation suit.
In the case of Amaechi, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola who led a seven-man panel of Justices of the Court announced the judgment date after talking arguments for and against the suit.
Amaechi is praying the apex court to prohibit Governor Nyesom Wike from investigating his 8-year tenure as the executive governor of the state.
The former governor predicated his opposition to the probe on the ground that it was aimed at witch-hunting, embarrassing, and humiliating him given his political differences with his successor.
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike who had constituted a seven-man probe panel to probe Amaechi on his part is asking the Supreme Court to dismiss Amaechi’s suit.
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The governor insisted that the Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice George Omekeji was to look into how N96bn was allegedly withdrawn from the Treasury of the state government and how it was expended.
