Dr. Gabriel Ogbechie has filled a N1 billion lawsuit against lawyer and politician, Prince Ned Nwoko, at the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja for the defamation of his character.
Nwoko had sometime in 2017 announced an assassination attempt on his life, alleging it was sponsored by Ogbechie.
He also petitioned the Nigeria Police, alleging that Ogbechie had perfected plans with some miscreants to kill him over land disputes and kingship tussle in Idumuje Ugboko, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.
In a suit marked: CV/560/2021, and dated February 24, 2021, in the court presided by Justice Chizoba Oji of Court 9, Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, Ogbechie stated as part of his averments that the defendant on November 12, 2020 wrote a petition to the Inspector-General of Police alleging plans by him to assassinate him.
The petition was copied to the Delta State Commissioner of Police and the Federal Capital Territory Police Command on December 10, 2020.
Ogbechie also said the defendant in a press statement published on December 10, 2020 and distributed to media houses made so many false accusations against him, linking him to some inmates arrested in 2017 over the disputes in Idumuje-Ugboko, Delta State, involving the defendant and the traditional ruler of the community.
He therefore prayed the court to declare as falsehood and defamatory the petition made by Nwoko on the said dates as well as a retraction and apology from the defendant for the false and defamatory statements to be published on a full page of the Vanguard newspaper in Nigeria.
He also demanded for the sum of N1 billion as damages and a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, by himself, his servants, agents or privies from repeating or continuing with the act of defaming him.
At the proceedings, counsel to Ogbechie, Ekemejero Ohwovoriole (SAN) informed the court that the out-of-court settlement encouraged by the presiding Judge had broken down as the other party made no attempt to reach out to him since the last adjourned date.
Counsel to the defendant, Onyeka Nwokolo, told the court that he has not been able to proceed with the out-of-court settlement as his client has been unwell, spending two months in Jordan with a critical ailment.
He told the court that he has discussed the possibility of the settlement with his client, but has not been able to communicate with the learned Silk but he is still convinced that the window for settlement could still be explored.
Ohwovoriole opposed the statement made by the counsel to Nwoko, stating that they had 180 days from May 30, 2022 till date, but never made any attempt towards such gesture, rather have been avoiding any contact with Ogbechie.
Justice Oji agreed with the submission of Ohwovoriole and called for the commencement of a hearing on the suit, but still advised both parties to explore an out-of-court settlement of the matter before the next hearing date.
The judge adjourned the matter to February 27, 2023 for a hearing.
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