UPDATE: Court Awards N500,000 Against Olalekan Fatodu After Throwing Out Defamation Suit Initiated Against Sowore, SaharaReporters

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has awarded the sum of N500,000 against Mr. Olalekan Fatodu and his company, Leeman Communications Limited, for initiating a defamation case against Nigerian activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, and Sahara Reporters Media Inc.

This was pronounced by Justice Oyindamola Ogala on Tuesday shortly after dismissing the lawsuit over the failure of the claimants to prove that the alleged defamatory material was published to a third party.

Stanley Imhanruor Esq, Principal Partner at PRIMEVIEW, who commenced the case while at Femi Falana’s Chambers, disclosed this shortly after the judgment.

Imhanruor said: “The court awarded N500,000 against Lekan Fatodu, and it is the second time the court would award costs against him over the same lawsuit.”

He further explained the history of the legal harassment by Fatodu, noting that the courts had previously penalised him over the same matter.

“A cost of N200,000 was initially awarded against him for bringing a wrongful lawsuit against Sahara Reporters Media Foundation.

“That was years ago when they joined Sahara Foundation as a party to the suit. So when the name was eventually struck out from the case, the court awarded costs against Fatodu as the claimant who initially joined the Sahara Foundation in the suit.”

He added: “The N200,000 damages were awarded against them over six years ago; that time when they joined SaharaReporters Foundation into the suit.

“The court ruled that the Foundation was improperly joined, and this was what led to the award of the damages against the claimant at that time.”

The case dates back to 2017, when Fatodu and his firm sued Sowore and Sahara Reporters Media Inc. in court over publications related to public funds and contracts tied to the Office of the National Security Adviser.

The matter had gone through several adjournments, cross-examinations, and the tendering of multiple documents, including public notices, certificates of compliance, and correspondence.

During the trial, the defence team argued that the actions of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were matters of significant public interest.

They contended that the second claimant had benefited from contracts awarded by ONSA under Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.), despite no work being executed. To support this claim, the defence cited a publication by ONSA in The Nation newspaper on January 8, 2016.

The defence further argued that, following investigations, the Nigerian government released a list on March 24, 2016, naming companies and individuals allegedly involved in corrupt dealings related to ONSA contracts. The second claimant appeared on that list, which the defence also submitted as evidence during the trial.

Additionally, the defence maintained that the government had repeatedly alleged that Dasuki misappropriated funds allocated for combating insurgency through the use of shell companies and proxy individuals. They referenced several public documents and media reports to substantiate this position.

They posited that “it is a matter of fact that Col. Dasuki diverted public funds meant for the purchase of arms in the fight against insurgency and that the 2nd claimant where the 1st claimant is a director was one of the companies that received payments for phony contracts from the ONSA under the watch of Col. Dasuki as can be gleaned from the official release of the Office of the Special Senior Assistant, Media and Publicity to Mr. President dated March 24, 2016”.

“It is also a matter of fact that the 2nd claimant where the 1st claimant is a director was indicted by the said Presidential Committee after it was duly invited and investigated by the Presidential Committee,” they added.

The team argued that the “1st and 2nd defendants have an abiding responsibility to disseminate the information complained of and members of the public are also entitled to receive the pieces of information contained in the said publications for public good and the advancement of good governance and accountability”.

Background Story

In January 2017, Fatodu and a group of associates attacked Sowore following a report published by SaharaReporters. The report alleged that Fatodu acted as a front for former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode in a scheme to divert public funds through the office of the then-NSA, Dasuki.

Subsequently, Fatodu filed a petition with the Lagos State Police Command, leading to Sowore’s arrest. In the petition, Fatodu claimed that Sowore had approached him with a demand for N200 million to suppress the publication of a damaging story. He alleged that when he told Sowore he could not pay, the story was published anyway.

Fatodu further claimed he filed the petition on grounds of blackmail, defamation, and threats to his life, citing phone calls he claimed he received warning him of danger.

Sowore promptly denied all the allegations, insisting he had never solicited bribes in exchange for withholding news stories. He described the situation as part of a coordinated conspiracy against him and vowed to defend himself by all legal means necessary. He also accused the police of siding with his accuser.

Sowore was arrested on Wednesday, January 11, 2017, after being attacked by Fatodu on Isaac John Street in the Ikeja area of Lagos.

He was first taken to the police command headquarters before the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.

Fatodu had immediately taken to his Twitter (now X) handle and announced, “Breaking! I just got Sowore Omoyele of SaharaReporters arrested for criminal defamation and blackmail and threat to my life and career.”

At about 6 p.m. that same day, Sowore confirmed the incident in a video posted on his Facebook page. In the video, he accused the police of backing Fatodu while he was being assaulted at the Area F Police Command.

About an hour later, he shared a follow-up post that read, “After the police ‘intervened’ (as) soon as I was attacked by Lekan Fatodu and his friends in Lagos, we were taken to the Commissioner of Police’s office in Lagos.

“Turns out he was in on this; he pulled out a supposed petition written by Lekan from his hat; after that, he became very hostile towards me and ordered that we be driven to the State CID, Panti.

“It is very obvious that this was planned between Lekan Fatodu and the police. They offered him unbridled support as he continued attacking me in the presence of the police….”

“I was physically attacked by this guy and the police was called. When we got to the police station, they changed the story,” Sowore also told TheCable.

“The commissioner of police said he had a petition against me. And I was furious, because here was a guy who nearly killed me. That’s the story, not the red herring that I demanded money.

“This problem started in January 2016 when I wrote a story on him being a front for Femi Fani-Kayode. He came and even sent people to beg me to take the story down, but I said I don’t take stories on my website down because I have evidence.

“He then moved to threat, but if he has evidence that I demanded money from him, wouldn’t he have put the information out there? What has he been waiting for since January 2016? I do not demand bribe to do stories, I did not demand a kobo from him, never. Why didn’t he give you the evidence?”

In March 2017, Fatodu submitted a petition to then-Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, requesting the eviction of Sowore from his office in Ikeja. He alleged that the premises were being used for criminal activities and were causing a disturbance to the surrounding neighborhood.

However, the office of Governor Ambode denied receiving any such petition.

Follow the Sahara Reporters channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaFClvtH5JM6SSsP7M2Y