By Milcah Tanimu
Linda Ikeji has been ordered by the Delta State High Court in Effurun to pay a sum of N30 million as general damages for her libelous publication against the Neo Black Movement (NBM) of Africa. Additionally, Ikeji has been directed to pay N300,000 as the cost of litigation.
The presiding judge, Justice Roli Daibo-Harriman, also mandated Ikeji to publish a retraction of the defamatory publication on her blog and in national newspapers. Furthermore, Ikeji is restrained from making any further damaging publications against the Claimants and members of the NBM of Africa.
The lawsuit, with the Registered Trustees of NBM of Africa, Ese Kakor, Felix Kupa, and Mayor Onyebueke as Claimants, stemmed from Ikeji’s failure to retract and apologize for her libelous article published on October 19, 2021. In the said publication, Ikeji allegedly referred to NBM of Africa as a dreaded cult group, black axe, criminal organization, and other derogatory terms.
Justice Daibo-Harriman described the words used by Ikeji in her publication as defamatory. Lead counsel to the Claimants, Mr. Kelvin Agbroko, expressed satisfaction with the judgement, emphasizing the importance of verifying information before publication. He clarified that the NBM of Africa is a legally registered organization with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and stated their intention to enforce the terms of the judgement against Ikeji.
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