Barr. Ledum Mitee, the former president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP has instituted a legal action against the chairman of the Town Council of K-Dere, Chief Enoch Tombari Gbarabe, chairman CDC Festus Z. Legbara and the Youth leader, Olulu Sunday Olulu, demanding N1.5bn from each of them for defaming his character. The case came up last week in a High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt.
The ex- MOSOP boss in suit No. PHC/1907/2015 alleged that on Friday 13th November, 2015 in the K-Dere community square, Festus Z. Legbara spoke falsely and maliciously against him concerning a heavy and sporadic shooting that caused considerable panic in the community on the 12th November, 2015.
According to the former MOSOP boss, Mr. Festus accused him of masterminded the mayhem in the community on that fateful day. He further alleged that Mr. Festus also accused him of paying N2m to boys to shoot guns and got the support of B. Dere people to join Bolo town in fighting the community.
Mitee submitted that, the youth leader, Mr. Olulu also collaborated with Mr. Festus to tarnish his image.
He maintained that their utterances meant that, “I am guilty of several crimes including incitement and/or promotion of communal war, sponsorship of cultism, procurement of firearms, community disturbances and terrorism”.
Mitee said that the utterances voiced out by the said persons are false, untrue, baseless and orchestrated to ridicule, malign and smear his high reputation; hence he has suffered damages, distress, and embarrassment.
He prayed the court to restrain them, their servants, or agents for further disseminating the said word of defamatory.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Iwogi later adjourned the case to September 14, 20 and October 11 and 12, 2016 for further hearing.###
Mene Gbarabe
