A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Bwari, Abuja, on Wednesday resumed proceedings in the ₦50 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, against Facebook user and political commentator, Hon. Tobias Chukwudi Egeonu, popularly known as Hon. Toby Chuks.
Despite prior notice, neither the defendant nor his lawyer, Nnamdi U. Mba, Esq., appeared in court for the hearing before Justice A. O. Ebong. Court records, however, confirmed that the defence team had participated in an earlier session held on March 27, 2025.
Given the absence of the defence, Justice Ebong granted the claimant’s legal team permission to proceed with the hearing.
Leading the legal team for Governor Otti, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Sonny Ajala, called the first prosecution witness (PW1), Arch. Uche Jude Uche, a former schoolmate of the governor.
Under oath, Uche adopted his written deposition dated January 13, 2025, as his testimony. He also tendered a copy of the Facebook post allegedly made by Egeonu, titled “What Alex Otti Cannot Destroy Does Not Exist.”
The court admitted the post and other supporting documents into evidence. The matter was subsequently adjourned to December 8, 2025, for the cross-examination of the witness—provided the defence is present.
The libel suit stems from a post published by Egeonu on December 8, 2024, where he accused Governor Otti of financial misconduct during his tenure as Group Managing Director of the now-defunct Diamond Bank, and of alleged corruption in his current role as governor of Abia State.
Governor Otti’s legal team described the publication as “an unwarranted online libelous publication from the pits of hell” and a “syndicated tissue of wicked and malicious lies.”
In response to the post, Governor Otti demanded a public apology and retraction on Facebook and in four national newspapers— ThisDay, The Punch, The Nation, and The National Ambassador. He also sought ₦50 billion in damages and ₦150 million in legal costs.
After Egeonu failed to comply within seven days of receiving a demand letter dated December 13, 2024, the governor proceeded to file a suit.
On February 11, 2025, Justice Ebong granted an application by the claimant’s legal team to serve court processes on Egeonu electronically via Facebook and WhatsApp, after confirming that the defendant acknowledged the demand via WhatsApp on December 14, 2024.
In the suit marked FCT/HC/CV/66/2025, Governor Otti is asking the court to declare that the Facebook post defamed him and to issue an order restraining Egeonu from making any further defamatory statements.
