Anyanwu’s N550m defamation suit: Ohakim denies granting any interview
Former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, has denied granting the interview in the Nation newspaper that was published on January 12, 2025, which formed the basis of Sen. Chris Anyanwu’s defamation suit against him last year.
When the case, Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/1058/2025, which has suffered about four previous adjournments, came up for further hearing at High Court Jabi, Abuja, on Monday, September 28, Anyanwu’s lawyer, Adekunle Kosoko, moved a motion to regularise the Claimant’s Reply to the 1st Defendant’s amended Statement of Defence.
Paragraphs 7 and 9 of the Amended Defence Statement stated: “The 1st Defendant denies paragraphs 16 and 20 of the Statement of Claim. The 1st defendant denies that he wrote, issued, published and or caused to be published the words set in paragraphs 16 and 20 of the Statement of Claim…. The 1st Defendant did not write, utter, publish and or cause to be published the words complained as alleged… The Claimant concocted and issued a press statement for purpose of her suit.”
In response to the motion, Counsel for Ohakim, K.C.O. Njemanze, SAN, said in view of the application, the defence needed to examine the process filed by the claimant. The court subsequently adjourned the matter until November 4, 2026 for continuation of trial.
The suit followed comments allegedly made by Ohakim in an interview published by The Nation newspaper in January 2025 concerning Anyanwu and her memoir, Bold Leap.
In her amended reply to Ohakim’s amended statement of defence, Anyanwu denied the allegations raised against her and maintained that the statements complained of were defamatory and made with malice.
She particularly challenged Ohakim’s alleged claim that she had written an apology to former military ruler, the late General Sani Abacha, and that she had relied on military connections during her political career.
Anyanwu’s pleading stated that Ohakim had asserted the existence of an apology letter and promised to publish it, but had not done so. She further averred that the statements were made to damage her reputation and secure political advantage, allegations Ohakim is expected to contest at trial.
The claimant also stated that Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation, had apologised to her privately and publicly over the publication. She maintained that her memoir was an account of her life and experiences and denied defaming Ohakim in the book.
Ohakim, in his amended defence, denied that the statements complained of were defamatory and maintained, among other things, that the suit was incompetent and that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain it.
The defence also denied several assertions made by Anyanwu concerning her political and professional career and indicated that it would challenge the suit at trial.
The case is now scheduled to return on November 4, 2026 for continuation of trial.
The Claimant’s witnesses were in court, including Dr. Joyce Ejukonemu, who had given evidence in chief and was to be cross-examined today.
