Anyim files N500m suit against online medium, 2 others
Former Senate President, Pius Anyim has filed a N500 million libel suit against an online outfit and two other individuals over the publication of a false report accusing him of destroying farmlands in Ebonyi state.
In the suit filed before the FCT High Court on January 23, 2020, Anyim is demanding judicial orders against Moses Orji, Ogbonna Arochukwu and the Independent Communications Network Limited for what he termed the baseless, unfounded and malicious publication of unlawful seizure of lands against him.
In the suit, Anyim is demanding N500 million from the defendants as aggravated, punitive and exemplary damages over the embarrassment, public odium, derision, ridicule, obloquy, mental agony and psychological trauma which the defendants’ publication had caused him.
Besides the N500 million, Anyim is also demanding an order of the court restraining the defendants from making such further publications and to compel them to take a full-page written apology in national dailies such as Vanguard, Thisday, Daily Trust, Punch, The Nation, The Guardian, and the Sun newspapers.
The plaintiff is aggrieved over a publication on the PM News website: https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/category/news/metro with the caption: “Former Senate President Anyim accused of destroying farmland in Ebonyi’ on January 25, 2020.
The report alleges that between January 21-22, 2020, “a bulldozer working at the behest of Chinedu Makwe and Livinus Uka both of whom claim to represent Pius Anyim and the Amagu Development Union in Ishagu, Ivo Local Government forcefully entered into a farm owned by Moses Orji in Amagu, Ishagu and destroyed palm trees, economic trees and crops including yams and cassava, as well farm lands.”
According to Anyim, in the processes filed before the court, even though he is a member of the community, he was not a member of the committee constituted to partition and allocate communal lands to members of the community.
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In his statement of claim, Anyim stated that the process of partitioning and allocation of the communal land has been on for over 15 years now.
He stressed that since he is not a member of the committee and it does not take orders from him, the publication is false and a carefully calculated plan to defame his person.
The ex-Senate president added that the medium did not verify from him before making the publication, explaining that the publication was driven by “malice, aforethought and intent to inflict maximum damage to my name, character and reputation.”
