Court Hearing in N550m Defamation Suit Against Ex-Governor Ohakim Stalled Again as Lawyer Claims Illness
The N550 million defamation suit filed by Senator Chris Anyanwu against former Imo State Governor, Ikedi Ohakim, hit another snag on Thursday after his lead counsel, Ken Njemanze (SAN), once again failed to appear in court—citing health reasons.
Justice M.S. Idris of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Jabi had scheduled the matter for a definite hearing on June 19, following Njemanze’s earlier absence on June 17 for the same reason. The case, filed under suit number FCT/HC/CV/1058/2025, stems from an interview Ohakim granted to The Nation newspaper, published on January 12, 2025.
In the interview, Senator Anyanwu alleges that Ohakim made damaging and false claims against her character. She responded swiftly with a press release to refute the remarks and, through her lawyers, demanded a public retraction and apology. Her lawsuit seeks N550 million in damages and a court order compelling Ohakim to retract the statements and publish full-page apologies in The Sun and The Nation newspapers.
Despite admitting to making the controversial remarks, Ohakim claimed in his defense that his statements were “fair comment.”
However, during Thursday's hearing, counsel for the claimant, Adekunle Kosoko, informed the court that Ohakim’s legal team was absent and revealed he had only received a letter the day before stating that Njemanze was still unwell. Kosoko criticized the manner in which the adjournment was communicated, especially as three lawyers had previously represented Ohakim in court.
“This is a high-profile defamation case. Sending just a letter without proper court representation shows disregard,” Kosoko argued, noting that two witnesses for the claimant traveled from Lagos and Benue for the hearing and had also been present during the last adjournment.
Justice Idris, while granting the adjournment, warned that the court’s patience was not unlimited. He ruled that the case would proceed on the next adjourned date—October 13, 2025—regardless of Njemanze’s availability, provided he failed to show up again.
The judge emphasized that the delay was solely due to the first defendant’s legal team and ordered hearing notices to be served on all defendants, including Ohakim and Vintage Press Ltd, publishers of The Nation newspaper.
As the courtroom drama continues, critics say the recurring delays hint at possible attempts to stall justice, raising questions about accountability and due process—especially when high-profile political figures are involved.
