New Telegraph

Libel: MFM/Olukoya registers N500m damages against blogger in UK

 

Akeem Nafiu

A United Kingdom High Court of Justice Tuesday registered the N500 million damages entered in favour of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) and its General Overseer, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, by an Ogun State High Court against a UK-based blogger, Maureen Badejo.
By this development, the judgement of the Ogun State High Court has thus become, for all intents and purposes, the judgement of the Queens Bench Division and will soon be executed on the judgment-debtor, Maureen Badejo, in that country.
Justice Abiodun Akinyemi of a High Court in Ogun State had on February 9, 2021 awarded N500 million damages in favour of MFM and Olukoya against  Badejo, the proprietor of Gio TV, for aggravated libel.
Besides, the judge also ordered the blogger to tender a written apology and retraction of the offending publications prominently on social media and at least three national dailies.
“Watching and listening to the broadcasts when demonstrated in open court, I was taken aback at the reckless and defiant attitude of the defendant.
“What was more, it was a phone-in programme in which the defendant even granted audience to the public to make contributions on the information provided by her concerning the claimants.
“I cannot imagine a worse case of reckless defamation or evil use of the internet and social media. Considering the totality of the circumstances of this case, and in particular the conduct of the defendant, I am of the view that the claimants deserve to be substantially compensated in aggravated and exemplary damages,” Justice Akinyemi held.
It would be recalled that the claimants (MFM and Olukoya) had filed a suit before the court on September 7, 2020, seeking ₦10 billion compensation for aggravated and exemplary damages of Badejo’s alleged misuse of the social media.

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