Lawmaker files N1bn defamation suit against Governor, aides
The member representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency, Hon. Terseer Ugbor, on Friday, filed a N1bn defamation suit against the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, before a Benue State High Court in Makurdi.
Joined in the suit marked MHC/422/2024 are the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, and Isaac Uzaan, identified in the suit as a media aide to the governor.
The federal lawmaker is seeking an order of court directing Alia and his aide
s to pull down all the defamatory posts and publications against him posted on their Facebook pages.
He is also seeking “an order of court directing Governor Alia, Kula and Uzaan to retract all the defamatory publications against him and tender a public apology to him to be published in not less than five national dailies as well as on Facebook and social media platforms.
The plaintiff is also seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining all the defendants, their privies, servants, agents, surrogates or whosoever called from defaming him.”
The lawmaker, in the statement of claim, averred that as a responsible representative who has the plight of his constituents at heart, he had written two letters dated October 9, 2023, and October 16, 2023, to the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, requesting palliatives to support the displaced victims of herdsmen attacks in Moon, Yaav, Kumakwagh and Mbadura Council Wards of Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
He said the humanitarian situation kept increasing with no positive response from NEMA, adding that he decided to write another letter on May 8, 2024, to the agency requesting urgent intervention in support of victims in Moon, Menev, Liev 1, Liev 2, Yaav, Kumakwagh, Yaav and Mbadura council wards of the Kwande Local Government Area.
Ugbor noted that NEMA finally approved and released relief materials for his constituents as requested and he wrote a letter on the same date acknowledging receipt.
All letters had been pleaded in the suit filed for Ugbor by his counsel, Dr. Emmanuel Agbakor.
Ugbor further said on September 11, 2024, while he was in the United States of America attending to matters of national interest, he arranged and conveyed the relief materials from the warehouse of NEMA in Jos to Makurdi for storage at a public commercial warehouse for safety to enable him to return and convey the items to his constituency for distribution to the internally displaced people.
Ugbor averred that the palliatives were kept at the culture warehouse located at 6E Wantor Kwange Street, Makurdi, Benue State, a public warehouse that was hired for the storage of palliatives pending the return of Ugbor from his official trip for onward distribution to the internally displaced people in his constituency, attaching receipts for payment of the warehouse.
The lawmaker alleged that to his surprise, Governor Alia impounded the vehicle conveying the items and when he raised complaints, Uzaan took to his Facebook timeline and authored a publication entitled “Re: Alia vows to make life unbearable for Idps in Kwande” wherein the said Uzaan published defamatory words against him.
Ugbor also alleged that Kula on September 18 also took to his Facebook page, published a press statement for himself and on behalf of Governor Alia, titled “Gov. Alia hands over truck of diverted relief materials to EFCC/ICPC” wherein the Governor and Kula defamed his character and reputation.
The House of Representatives member further averred that Alia also on September 18, 2024, in a video shared on Fr. Alia TV Network which went viral on social media, especially Facebook made several defamatory statements that he diverted palliatives meant for Internally Displaced Persons in Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency and referred to him as a “dishonourable member.”
Ugbor is further seeking an order from the court directing Alia, Kulas and Uzaan to jointly or severally pay him the sum of N1bn as damages for defamation of his character and reputation, amongst other reliefs.
Though no date had been fixed for hearing of the suit.
