A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Bwari, Abuja, on Wednesday, proceeded with the hearing of Abia State Governor, Alex Otti’s N50bn defamation suit against Facebook user and political commentator, Hon. Tobias Chukwudi Egeonu, otherwise known as Hon. Toby Chuks, despite the absence of the defendant and his legal counsel.
THE WHISTLER reportsneither the defendant nor his counsel, Nnamdi U. Mba, Esq., appeared in court at the resumed hearing before Justice A. O. Ebong
The court confirmed from its record that the defence was aware of the date of the hearing and that they participated in the matter when it came up on March 27, 2025.
Justice Ebong, therefore, directed the claimants counsel to proceed with the hearing.
Leading Otti’s case, his legal team which includes Senior Advocate of Nigeria Dr. Sonny Ajala, called Arch. Uche Jude Uche, a schoolmate of the governor, as the first prosecution witness (PW1).
Uche was sworn in and adopted his written deposition dated January 13, 2025, as evidence.
He further tendered a copy of an alleged defamatory Facebook post published by the defendant titled, “What Alex Otti Cannot Destroy Does Not Exist.”
The court admitted the publication and other relevant documents in evidence. The matter was then adjourned to December 8, 2025, for cross-examination of PW1, should the defence appear.
THE reported that the lawsuit stemmed from the Facebook post published by Egeonu on December 8, 2024, in which he accused Governor Otti of financial mismanagement during his time as Group Managing Director of the now-defunct Diamond Bank, as well as alleged corruption as Governor of Abia State.
Otti’s legal team had described ... as “unwarranted online libelous publication from the pits of hell” and “a syndicated tissue of wicked and malicious lies.”
Governor Otti, through his lawyers, had demanded a retraction and apology on Facebook and in four national newspapers (ThisDay, The Punch, The Nation, and The National Ambassador) along with N50bn in damages and N150m as legal costs.
After Egeonu failed to comply within seven days of receiving the letter dated December 13, 2024, legal action was initiated against him.
On February 11, 2025, THE WHISTLER reported that Justice Ebong granted Governor Otti’s application to serve the court processes on Egeonu via electronic means (Facebook and WhatsApp) after confirming that the defendant acknowledged receipt of the demand via WhatsApp on December 14, 2024.
In the case, marked FCT/HC/CV/66/2025, Governor Otti is seeking declarations that the social media post caused reputational damage to him.
The governor also sort an order restraining Egeonu from making further defamatory statements against him.
