•Demands 200m Compensation
The Paramount Ruler of ljebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, also known as the Awujale of Ijebuland has dragged popular musician and owner of Fresh FM 105.9 Radio Station to court over alleged defamation on his person through one of its programmed titled TALK YOUR OWN WITH CHIKITO DURU”.
The Claimant, Ajujale of Ijebu alleged that the said words on the programme which was aired from 22nd December, 2019 till the 4th of September, 2020 was referred and were understood to refer to him in their natural and ordinary meaning and are calculated to disparage his status as a person of global repute and in his office as the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of ijebuland.
He is therefore asking for the sum of Two Hundred Billion Naira (N200,000,000,000.00) as compensation for libel contained in a Radio programme entitled “TALK YOUR OWN WITH CHIKITO DURU” written and published by the Defendant on its Fresh FM 105.9 Ibadan on the 22nd December, 2019 and
simultaneously till the 4th of September, 2020.
In the suit filed before an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on behalf of the Claimant by his Counsel, Dr. Fassy Yusuf, the Claimant further said the programme simultaneously stored and retained on its news server transmitted through the internet website called www.facebook.comfreshfmibadanvideos has also injured his credit, character and reputation and has lowered his the estimation of right thinking members of society generally and hurt in his feelings.
The Claimant’s said his reputation and integrity have been damaged by the false
of publication as people who held the Claimant in high esteem have been made to doubt his honour and they even expressed their doubt to the Claimant face by asking the Claimant why he raised heinous curse on the ljebus and the Nigerian nation which has brought destruction and economic calamity to Ijebuland and Nigerian Nation at large.
He averred that the Defendant published the said words concerning the Claimant
out of malevolence or spite calculating thereby to promote his business with a view of increasing profit in terms of financial
income and gain, knowing well that the defamatory are untrue but since it was aleged to have occurred in 1984.
He added that the Defendant was reckless as to whether or not the publication was true
thus calculating the prospect of the material advantage of using the person and office or the Claimant to attract more listeners to its programmes calculating the prospect of material advantage advertising clients’ products for sale and thereby making money for the Defendant at the global stage as greater to the material loss to be suffered on publication.
The Claimant also contended that the Wadal shoes factory at Ikangba ljebu-Ode which the He established many years ago had to be shut down voluntarily because of economic considerations and challenges in the Nigerian market.
The buildings of the company are still intact as there was no outbreak of fire at the site at anytime till now.
He also denied pronouncing curse Ijebuland as stated in the publication.
He is however seeking the court’s injunction, restraining the Defendant by itself, its servants, agents or otherwise from further publishing or causing to be published the
same or similar defamatory words of or concerning the Claimant.
