Otti slams N50bn libel suit on Abia Information Commissioner

A renowned economist and banker, Mr. Alex Otti, has sued the Abia State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Eze Chikamnayo over alleged libellous publication, following a barrage of “malicious” verbal attacks by the government spokesman.

Otti and other opposition politicians have been targets of relentless verbal attacks for daring to criticise the administration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

He dragged Chikamnayo before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), seeking redress over the alleged libellous publication in an online news platform, Abia Pulse.

In the suit filed by his counsel, Season Law Firm, Abuja, Otti said that the contents of a statement titled ‘Enough of Otti’s Nonsense’ credited to Chikamnayo and published by Abia Pulse News Online were not only “false and mallcious” but also “defamatory and libellous” against his person.

The publisher of Abia Pulse, Mr. Ugochukwu Nwankwo was not spared by Otti as he was joined with Chikamnayo as co-defendants in the suit expected to generate legal fireworks away from Abia.

Otti, who is a renowned economist, banker and frontline Abia opposition politician is claiming N50 billion as damages from the Abia information commissioner and his co-defendant.

Otti contended that the alleged libellous publication “is not only false in its entirety, but also malicious as it intended to malign, ridicule and reduce (his) estimation in the minds of right thinking members of the public”

He said he has worked assiduously all his life to reach the eminent status which he has attained nationally and globally, hence he is asking the court to order a retraction of the offensive publication and an apology by the defendants, in addition to exemplary damages. This is to mitigate the damage done to his reputation by the said publication.