A Lagos High Court Judge, Justice A.M. Lawal on Monday January 13 told Obi Ezeilo, a senior official of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), that he cannot use any lawyer in the employ of the Commission for defense in the N100 million slander action brought against him by Tony Okoroji, chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON).
Ezeilo, a lawyer, had announced himself and one Abiola Adekunle, another lawyer in the employ of the NCC as representing him in the Suit No. ID/ADR/2389/2019 in which Okoroji has asked the court for an order mandating Ezeilo to retract the ‘false and slanderous’ statements he made against him on October 25, 2018 and issue an apology published in four national newspapers.
Okoroji has also asked for damages in the sum of N100 million and a perpetual injunction restraining Ezeilo, his servants, privies or agents or otherwise from uttering or publishing defamatory words targeting him.
The case has been adjourned to March 7, and sent to the ADR for possible resolution before the date.
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