A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has admitted eight different exhibits tendered by the Premiere Academy of Abuja to establish its N500M defamation suit instituted against an Abuja based gender activist, Lemmy Ughegbe.
The exhibits were admitted by Justice Kayode Agunloye sitting in Kwali division of the court when they were tendered by counsel to the Academy, Chike Nwogho.
Premiere Academy located at Lugbe area of Abuja had sued the gender activist, claiming a sum of N500m from him as compensation for damages suffered in the alleged defamation of its reputation.
In the suit filed by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, the School is praying the court to prohibit the Child and Gender Rights Advocate from further defaming it in his allegation that a female student of the School, Miss Keren-Happuch died as a result of rape on the school premises.
The School, among others, claimed that the gender activist defamed it in his persistent allegations that the 14-year old student was raped and a condom left inside her, which infected her with sepsis, spiked her blood sugar leading to her death due to hyperglycemia on June 22, 2021.
However, at the proceedings, Nwogho, who led the Principal of the School, Mr Christopher Akinsowon in evidence, tendered 8 different materials before the court to support the case against the defendant.
Among the exhibits tendered are the Flash drive containing video clip of where the activist addressed a gathering of about 5, 000 lawyers at the 2021 Law Week of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA in Abuja where the alleged defamatory remarks were made.
Others are admission registers of the School for three years showing an alleged downturn in students enrollment as a result of the alleged persistent defamation.
In one of the registers, the School claimed that it was only able to get 59 new applicants in year 2022 that sat for the admission examination stating that the School suffered the fate for the three years.
Also tendered are the September 2, 2021 online news publications of Daily Independent and The Sun newspapers which the activist allegedly used, among others, to spread the alleged defamation of its reputation.
Similarly, a letter from Awomolo SAN Law Firm warning the activist on the alleged defamation and asking him to desist as well as his reply through his lawyer, Johnbull Adaghe justifying his actions were also tendered.
In reaction, counsel to the defendant raised vehement objections against the admission of the documents as exhibits on various grounds.
Among others, the lawyer argued that some of the documents were not front loaded and also not pleaded in the witness statement of the School Principal.
His objections to the documents were countered by the plaintiff’s lawyer who drew the attention of the court to some paragraphs in the witness statement on oath where references were made to them.
In a brief ruling, Justice Kayode Agunloye over ruled the objections of the activist against the documents and admitted them as exhibits.
Meanwhile, the court has fixed March 18 to play in the open court, the video clip of where the activist allegedly made the defamatory remarks at the NBA conference.
The case was also adjourned for cross examination of the witness by counsel to the activist.
Premiere Academy had dragged the activist before the court claiming N500 million against the leader of Coalition of Gender Based Violence Responders, CGBVR, Lemmy Ughegbe for defamation.
The school alleged that Ughegbe defamed its character while speaking on the cause of Keren’s death at the NBA Law Week in Abuja among others.
But Ughegbe had while reacting to the suit said he would not be bullied into silence with cheap legal action of the school.
He has since filed his statement of defense which he would tender when giving his own side to the court.
Court admits exhibits in Premiere Academy’s N500m defamation suit against journalist
