Atiku files N2.5bn suit against Buhari’s aide, Onochie over ‘libelous tweet’

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has filed a N2.5 billion defamation suit against Lauretta Onochie, special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on social media.

In the suit filed before a federal capital territory (FCT) High Court by his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Atiku accused Onochie of posting a libelous tweet via her twitter handle on May 7, 2019

Onochie had tweeted that Atiku was on the watch list of security operatives in the United Arab Emirates and had travelled “to shop for terrorists in the Middle East”

The former Vice President denied the allegation contained in the tweet, stating that it was “politically orchestrated solely to cause maximum damage to his high reputation” while challenging the victory Buhari in the last presidential election.

“To say that the claimant is shopping for terrorists knowing same to be untrue and without any foundation is not only dishonest and reckless, but is calculated and politically designed to instigate security agents against him not only in the UAE, but across the world,” he said in a statement of claim accompanying the suit.

In the statement of claim, Atiku said he had in a May 14, 2019 letter, demanded an apology, retraction and payment of N500m compensation from Onochie “to assuage” the damage allegedly caused him by her social media post.

Atiku stated that even when he threatened to sue her should she fail to accede to the demand within 48 hours, Onochie was unmoved by his demand letter.

READ ALSO: Buhari’s aide Onochie insinuates that Atiku is a weakling when confronted by men

He added that rather than show “remorse by retracting her earlier publication”, she further, on May 20, made “another derogatory publication and also published same globally online in the social and other print media” against his person.

Onochie tweeted: “Atiku on UAE watchlist- Security sources Security operatives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are keeping a close tab on a former Nigerian Vice Pres Atiku Abubakar who has been in the Middle East nation for several weeks now What is he doing there? Me: Shopping for Terrorists?”

Atiku denied the allegation contained in the said publication which he described as “a figment of the imagination of the defendant”, but said it portrayed him “as an evil man, mentor of terrorists, someone who has links with terrorists, and a person who is interested in destabilising the peace and unity of Nigeria.

“The publication also portrayed the claimant as a security threat and terrorist to right thinking members of the public and the society at large.

“The odious publication has clearly rubbished the claimant’s image and reputation. It has caused him national and international backlash and embarrassment and has done incalculable damage to him.

“He has thereby been subjected to the shame and infamy of being viewed by members of the public as not only corrupt, but as a terrorist and sponsor of terrorism.”

Among others, Atiku is praying for a declaration that the publications made by Onochie via her social media accounts on May 7, and May 20, 2019, concerning and touching on him “are utterly false, baseless, unfounded and defamatory of the Claimant, and injurious to his reputation.”

He wants the court to direct the defendant to pay him N2,500,000,000 “representing general, aggravated, punitive and exemplary damages over the untold embarrassment, derision, public ridicule, odium, obloquy, marital disharmony, mental agony and psychological trauma which the defendant’s publications have caused the claimant.”

Also, he wants the court to compel the defendant to retract the publication and offer an apology to him “for the said offensive twitter and facebook publications on the same platforms, also to be published in three national newspapers with wide circulation within the country and also broadcast on AIT, Channels and NTA television stations.”

The claimant wants an order of perpetual injunction restraining her whether by herself, her servants, agents, privies, assigns, friends and /or representatives, or otherwise howsoever, from further posting such “offensive and libelous material or any other form of defamatory statements against his person”.

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