In 2019, Obasanjo filed a defamation suit demanding the sum of N1 billion in damages against Punch.
By Jeffrey Agbo
An FCT High Court has fined former President Olusegun Obasanjo N4 million as damages over a defamation suit filed against Punch and its columnist, Sonala Olumhense.
In her judgement which Daily Trust Saturday got hold of, Justice Modupe Osho-Adebiyi ruled that N2 million to both defendants was the cost of the action.
In 2019, Obasanjo filed a defamation suit demanding the sum of N1 billion in damages against Punch following an article which questioned his account of Nigerian history.
The award of the damages followed the application by Obasanjo’s counsel, Emmanuel Otinyia, for the discontinuance of the matter and for it to be struck out.
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However, following the application for discontinuance, counsel to Punch and Olumhense, R.O. Adakole and Sam Ogala respectively demanded the payment of N3m in costs for the travels and filing of processes and for the matter to be dismissed.
“Having dismissed this suit, it is trite that costs follow events. Case has definitely incurred a lot of costs and counsel at times has had to travel from outside jurisdiction to attend court.
“Both counsel have sought a cost of N3m only each but I hereby award the sum of N2m only each to the 1st and 2nd defendants as cost of this action,” the judge ruled.