Court restrains FG from adding Secondus to looters’ list
A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has restrained the Federal Government from further mentioning the name of the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, in its recently published looters’ list.
The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra, who gave the order on Monday, also ordered Secondus to serve hearing notice on the respondents.
The court order was sequel to application by Secondus, seeking an interlocutory injunction against further publication of his name on the looters’ list.
Secondus (the plaintiff) in suit No PHC/1013/2018, is suing the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Federal Government and Vintage Press for alleged libel. He is also demanding for N1.5 billion damages.
According to Secondus, the listing of his name as a looter who collected N200million on February 19, 2015 from the Office of the National Security Adviser was libellous.
But the respondents were not present in court while the CJ adjourned the matter till April 28.
Meanwhile, lawyer to Secondus, Mr Emeka Etiaba (SAN), has said that the judge could hear the suit on the grounds that his client was defamed by the publication.
