Unazi Gideon, a social critic, and Eza Patrick, an anti-corruption crusader cum whistleblower have sued the Chairman of Ado Local Government Area, Benue state, Hon. James Oche and Facebook International Services Nigeria Ltd. over alleged defamation.

Consequently, the claimants are demanding an order of court awarding the sum of N500m damages to them.

The suit marked FCT/HC/CV/2812/2022 and dated August 25, 2022, was filed at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

Specifically, the Claimants are praying the court for a declaration that a publication originated by Hon. Oche (1st Defendant) and published by Facebook (2nd Defendant) on the 23rd August 2022 titled “Patrick Eza and Gideon Unazi Wanted Over Criminal Investigation In Ado” is defamatory of the Claimants.

The Claimants are contending that the publication made of them by the 1st Defendant

through the medium of the 2nd Defendant is defamatory of their character as it has portrayed them as kidnappers or persons involved in kidnapping or persons who are members of a kidnapping gang.

However, the Claimants said they are law-abiding citizens who earn their legitimate income from their legitimate work and have never at any time been involved in any case of kidnapping or any other crime whatsoever.

According to the claimants, the said publication is factually baseless, unwarranted, malicious and borne out of malevolent considerations as the 1st Defendant knows that they are not in any way connected with any case of kidnapping or any violent crime in Ado Local Government of Benue state or anywhere at all.

They also told the court that as at the time the offending publication was made, neither of them have been invited by the police in connection with the allegation of kidnapping as contained in the untrue publication.

Therefore, both Eza and Unazi, through their lawyer, F S. Jimba Esq are praying the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd Defendants whether by themselves or through agents or privies howsoever described, from further publishing any defamatory information concerning the Claimants.

In the statement of claim, the claimants stated that on 23rd August, 2022, the 1st Defendant used the platform of the 2nd Defendant known as Facebook, and published a highly defamatory material about them titled “Patrick Eza and Gideon Unazi Wanted Over Criminal Investigation In Ado”.

The 1st Defendant through the 2nd Defendant was said to have stated as follows: “The Benue State Command of the Nigerian Police Force today paraded 18 suspected kidnappers arrested in Ado Local Government.

“In connection with this, the attention of the public is drawn to the fact that Patrick Eza and Gideon Unazi are hereby declared wanted by Ado Local Government to volunteer useful information to aid police investigation in this matter.

“Anybody in contact with them should advise them to immediately turn themselves in to the Ado Divisional Police Station Igumalo.

“Similarly, those with useful information on their whereabouts should kindly inform the DPO Ado LG”.

But in the affidavit in support of the writ of summon, both claimants informed the court that they were in Abuja on the 23rd August, 2022 going about their legitimate business when they became aware of the defamatory publication of the 1st Defendant through the medium of the 2nd Defendant.

Meanwhile, a date is yet to be fixed for the hearing of the matter.(Daily Independent)