By Austin Ogwuda
AN Effurun High Court, Delta State, Nigeria, presided over by Justice Roli Daibo-Harriman has ordered Linda Ikeji, a popular and controversial Blogger to pay the sum of N30 million damages for a libellous publication against the Neo-Black Movement of Africa (NBM).
The lawsuit numbered EHC/210/2021, was instituted against her for publishing sometime in October 2021 allegedly labelled the group – Neo-Black Movement of Africa as a dreaded cult group, black axe, and criminal organisation.
The Plaintiff/Claimants (NBM) angered by the publication approached the Court, seeking to be paid N1 billion as damages and in addition, to tender unreserved apology to be published on her blog and two national dailies among other reliefs.
The group also sought the Court’s protection by restraining her from further damaging publications against them, which was also granted.
Delivering judgment, Monday, Justice Daibo-Harriman described the tags: “dreaded cultist group, black axe and criminal organisation as used in the Defendant’s publication as all defamatory”.
Shortly after the judgment Counsel to the group, Kelvin Agbroko told newsmen that “NBM of Africa is a legal organisation duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission ( CAC). The publication made by the Defendant against my client has been cleared that it was a damaging publication.
“This will serve as a lesson to bloggers that it is not every item you publish. It is good to verify information before making a publication.
“NBM is good to go, we are going to take all necessary steps to enforce the terms of the judgment against her. It was an erudite judgment that is all-encompassing and will be difficult to fault”, he added.
Also speaking, the President of the NBM of Africa, Ese Kakor said “I advise other bloggers not to follow the same steps as they may also face similar litigation. Do not try and defame peoples’ character. NBM has nothing to do with cultism, black axe. It is not a criminal organisation but a well-registered organisation”.