A Delta State High Court in Effurun has ruled in favor of the Registered Trustees of the Neo-Black Movement of Africa (NBM) in a lawsuit against popular Nigerian blogger Linda Ikeji. The court awarded N30 million in damages against Ikeji for a libellous publication made on her blog against the NBM of Africa.
Presiding Justice Roli Daibo-Harriman, in Suit No: EHC/210/2021, ordered Ikeji to pay N30 million in damages and N300,000 as litigation costs. Additionally, Ikeji was instructed to publish a retraction of the libellous publication on her blog and in national dailies. She is also restrained from making further damaging publications against the Claimants.
The lawsuit stemmed from Ikeji’s publication on October 19, 2021, where she allegedly labelled the NBM of Africa as a dreaded cult group, black axe, and criminal organization. The court deemed these tags as defamatory and ruled in favor of the Claimants.
Counsel to the Claimants, Kelvin Agbroko, emphasized the importance of verifying information before publication and stated that the ruling serves as a lesson to bloggers. He asserted the NBM of Africa’s legal status as a duly registered organization and expressed determination to enforce the terms of the judgment.
President of the NBM of Africa, Ese Kakor, welcomed the court’s decision and warned against defaming people’s characters. He clarified that the NBM is a legally registered organization and refuted the allegations of cultism and criminality.