Gov. Oshiomhole Wins N25m from Lawsuit Against Magazine That Published Fake Story

A Benin High Court, which awarded N25million
as damages to the favour of Edo State
Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, in a libel suit
against the publishers of News of the People, a
soft sell weekly magazine. Governor Oshiomhole had dragged the soft sell
weekly magazine to court demanding
N250million as damages over their report with
the headline: ‘Oshiomhole’s sex power
exposed: Impregnates young girl six months
after death of wife.” The magazine had reported that Governor
Oshiomhole impregnated a student of the
state-owned, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma,
bought the said girl a jeep and interfered in the
academic activities of Ambrose Alli University,
Ekpoma, on behalf of the girl, adding that Governor Oshiomole used sexual performance
enhancement drugs and that he had performed
traditional marriage rites precedent to marriage
between him and the said girl. The governor told the court that he demanded
damages because the said the publication
caused him and his children psychological
trauma, six months after the death of his wife,
as the libelous piece was widely circulated, to
coincide with preparations for one of his daughter’s wedding. He said: “When I called a brother governor to sponsor
my daughter’s wedding, the governor said he
was confused, and asked me if I was the one
doing the marriage or my daughter. He added
that he was reading a magazine which said that I
was about getting married to a university student, and that the said wife-to-be was
already pregnant.” Justice Efe Ikponmwen in his judgment, also
ordered the magazine to publish a well-worded
retraction and apology in a similarly conspicous
manner in an edition of the magazine. He held that the governor’s evidence proved
that the magazine’s publication was libelous,
and that even though the public has a right to
know about a public officer, such information
should be in line with the law and must not be in
bad light.