Sowore wins 6 years legal battle against Fatodu as court awards ₦500k in Damages

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has dismissed a longstanding defamation lawsuit filed by public relations consultant, Olalekan Fatodu, and his company, Leeman Communications Limited, against Nigerian journalist and activist, Omoyele Sowore, and Sahara Reporters Media Inc.

The court also ordered Fatodu to pay ₦500,000 in costs.

The presiding judge, Justice Oyindamola Ogala, struck out the case on Tuesday, June 17, after ruling that the plaintiffs had failed to prove that the allegedly defamatory publication by Sahara Reporters had been communicated to a third party, a key requirement in defamation cases.

Stanley Imhanruor, the Principal Partner at PRIMEVIEW, who initially handled the case while at Femi Falana’s Chambers, confirmed the outcome shortly after the judgment.

“The court awarded ₦500,000 against Lekan Fatodu,” Imhanruor told reporters. “This is the second time the court has penalised him over this same matter.”

Imhanruor explained that this wasn’t the first time the court ruled against Fatodu in the legal battle.

“A cost of ₦200,000 was initially awarded against him years ago when he wrongly joined Sahara Reporters Media Foundation in the suit. The court ruled at the time that the Foundation was improperly joined, leading to the award of damages.”

The legal battle

The legal dispute originated in 2017 when Fatodu sued Sowore and Sahara Reporters over investigative reports linking him and his company to allegedly fraudulent contracts awarded by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under the leadership of Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.).

The defendants had maintained throughout the trial that their publications were based on official records and public interest reporting.

Citing a publication in The Nation newspaper from January 8, 2016, and a list released by the Federal Government on March 24, 2016, they asserted that Leeman Communications — where Fatodu serves as a director — was among companies named in alleged contract scandals involving diverted public funds meant for arms procurement.

“It is a matter of fact that Col. Dasuki diverted public funds... and the 2nd claimant, where the 1st claimant is a director, was one of the companies that received payments for phony contracts,” the defence stated.

They further argued that Fatodu and his company were invited, investigated, and indicted by a presidential committee, asserting that Sahara Reporters had a civic responsibility to report such matters for the advancement of transparency and good governance.

“The 1st and 2nd defendants have an abiding responsibility to disseminate the information complained of,” the defence said, insisting that the public had a right to the information.

This case gained additional public attention in 2020 after Fatodu publicly accused Sowore of attempting to extort a ₦100 million bribe, a claim reported by Pulse Nigeria, which Sowore vehemently denied.

With the case now dismissed and costs awarded for the second time, the judgment marks a significant victory for press freedom advocates, reinforcing the right of journalists to report on public interest matters based on factual documentation.