A week to the resumption of hearings in the multi-million dollar defamation lawsuit filed by international human rights lawyer, Emmanuel Ogebe, against it, the Federal Government of Nigeria is yet to pay over one million naira costs awarded against it.

An Abuja High Court had in February made the award of costs in favor of Ogebe following the Federal Government’s request for extension of time to enter a defense out of time.

However, it has failed to pay any of three separate sets of costs awarded by the High Court in the matter since last year.

The court had adjourned to April 16, 2016 for the Federal Government to produce its witnesses from Chibok and open its defense.

In 2016, it had held a press conference alleging that the international human rights lawyer, Emmanuel Ogebe, who sponsored some Chibok girls to school in America were not actually in school.

Barrister Ogebe then sued the Federal Government for defamation in 2017 but despite leading evidence and closing his case, the government has until now not opened its defense two years after the action was instituted.

The matter comes up for hearing at the Abuja High Court Gudu on April 16, 2019 two days after the 5th year anniversary of the Chibok girls’ abduction by Boko Haram terrorists.

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