‘Defamation’: Senator files N1bn libel suit against Buhari’s aide, Lauretta Onochie

Peter Nwaoboshi, chairman of the senate committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has filed a N1 billion suit against Lauretta Onochie, an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The suit was filed at a high court of the federal capital territory (FCT) on Monday.

The senator accused Onochie of making defamatory posts on her social media pages on June 8.

According to him, her comments online suggested that he is a “thief, corrupt and criminal.”

Nwaoboshi had alleged that the post on social media was an attempt to undermine the probe of the senate.

The upper legislative chamber is probing the interim management committee (IMC) of the NDDC for allegedly mismanaging N40 billion.

The senate’s decision to probe the commission sparked allegations and counter-allegations between the commission, Nwaoboshi and Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta affairs.

The commission accused the senator of using 11 companies as fronts to get a N3.6 billion contract. Onochie social media posts were based on the allegation.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, her agents, servants, privies any other person howsoever described, acting for and on her behalf, from further publishing/posting any other false and damaging publication in respect of the claimant,” the originating summons read.

“An order of this honourable court directing the defendant to publicly apologise to the claimant for the said false and misleading publication/post of June 8th, 2020 and any other publication or post on her other social media platforms against the claimant.”

This is not the first time the president’s aide would be sued for defamation.

In May 2019, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar sued Onochie demanded an apology and N500 million for alleged libel.