Court orders media house to pay N5.1bn damages

A Kano High Court on Monday ordered the Leadership Newspapers Ltd. to pay N5 billion as damages to Mr Tahir Fadallah, the proprietor of the Tahir Guest Palace, Kano.

The court also ordered the newspaper company to pay another N100 million to the plaintiff as the expenses he incurred for litigation.

Delivering Judgement after reviewing the case, Justice Abdullahi Bayero said the publication had defamed Fadallah’s character and lowered his reputation in the eyes of the society.

He stated that the said publication was embarrassing to the plaintiff especially with the report on large discovery of arms in Kano that was linked to Fadallah on May 31, 2013.

He said following the said report, the plaintiff reputation had been deeply damaged.

He therefore ordered the Leadership Newspapers to pay the plaintiff N5 billion as damages in addition to another N100 million cost of litigation.

He said the defendant, their agents or servants had also been restrained from engaging in publications that could tarnish or defame the character of the plaintiff.

In his reaction, counsel to the defendant, Mr Ugo Udogi said the Leadership Newspapers would appeal against the judgment.

"Even without meeting my client, I can assure you we are not satisfied with the judgment, so we are going to appeal," he said.

However, when contacted, the plaintiff, Mr Tahir Fadallah, thanked God for winning the case.

"I give glory to God Who had vindicated me and I will dedicate the damages to the service of humanity. I really thank God," he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Tahir Fadallah had on June 21, 2013, filed a case before the court challenging the Leadership Newspapers Ltd., publishers of Leadership Newspapers, over a publication on May 31, 2013.