Supreme Court sets May 27 for judgment in Odili’s N6bn defamation suit against Dakuku Peterside

A former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, will on May 27 know his fate in a N6 billion character defamation suit instituted against him by former Rivers State governor, Dr. Peter Odili.

The Supreme Court on Monday in Abuja fixed the May 27 judgment date after taking final arguments for and against the suit.

Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who led a five-man panel of justices of the court that heard the matter, announced that a final decision on the defamation of character suit would be known on May 27.

Odili had in October 2016 dragged Peterside to court demanding N6 billion as damages for character defamation.

In the suit, the former Rivers State governor had claimed that Peterside, during a press conference in Port Harcourt, defamed him in his allegations that Governor Nyesom Wike’s Supreme Court victory was hatched by him.

Dr Odili’s wife is a Justice of the Supreme Court.

During Monday’s proceedings, lead counsel for Odili, Kanu Agabi (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the appeal by Peterside and enter judgment in favour of his client.

However, Damian Okoro, counsel to Dakuku Peterside, asked the apex court to allow the appeal and set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the N6 billion naira defamation suit.

Details shortly.