$300,000 suit: Court orders retraction of offensive publications against businessman Ogionwo

$300,000 suit: Court orders retraction of offensive publications against businessman Ogionwo

By Jeffrey Agbo

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos has vindicated a businessman Ebi Ogionwo in a suit filed against him by the police following a petition by Oluwatosin Adefila.

In the suit, the police claimed Ogionwo obtained $300,000 from Adefila by false pretences. 

In an affidavit, Ogionwo’s lawyers said Adefila misrepresented facts and misled the police into filing the suit. According to the affidavit, Ogionwo’s business relationship with Adefila spanned 15 years “with full and satisfactory performance”.

In 2018 and 2021, the corporate entity represented by Ogionwo accessed loan facilities from Adefila’s Boltzemo Nigeria Ltd and promptly repaid them with full interests, the document said.

However, the repayment of the $300,000 loan granted in 2022 was late due to the nonperformance of a third-party organisation engaged by the corporate entity represented by Ogionwo. 

Adefila was allegedly aware of the third-party nonperformance but mounted intense pressure on Ogionwo to pay. He and his associates allegedly sponsored publications in the print and online media portraying Ogionwo as dishonest and fraudulent, the affidavit said.

The presiding judge, Justice D.E. Osiagor, in the matter on January 30th, 2025, ordered Adefila and his associates to “retract and remove all offensive publications” portraying Ogionwo as dishonest and fraudulent.

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The Judge also ordered Adefila’s lawyer, Justice Akose, “to appear before the Court on May 26th, 2025 to explain the justification for the threatening messages sent Ebi Ogionwo.

Furthermore, the Judge ordered that the outstanding sum of $185,000 owed by the corporate entity represented by Ogionwo be deposited in the bank account of the Federal High Court Deputy Chief Registrar pending the retraction and removal of all offensive publications made against Ogionwo. 

Checks confirmed that the corporate entity represented by Ogionwo has deposited the outstanding sum in the Federal High Court Deputy Chief Registrar’s bank account in compliance with the court order. Therefore, all debt obligations to Adefila’s Bolzemo Nigeria Ltd have been met, Ogionwo’s lawyers said.

Ogionwo’s legal team has filed a defamation suit in the High Court of Lagos State, Epe Division, against Adefila; Nigeria Police Force; Inspector-General of Police; Commissioner of Police, FCID, Lagos; S. O. Ayodele, Esq; Independent Communications Network Ltd; Akin Kuponiyi; Town Crier; EchoNews, and Felix Kuyi.

The lawyers aver that their client’s image and reputation have been irreparably damaged by those offensive publications, and are, on behalf of their client, seeking Two Billion Naira (N2,000,000,000) only in damages for defamation, cyberbullying, intimidation, harassment and online stalking.

Ogionwo’s lawyers are also seeking a court order that the defendants tender an unreserved apology to Ogionwo and that the sixth to the tenth defendants publish a retraction of the slanted defamatory story.