Former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim has filed a N500m libel suit before the FCT High Court against an online outfit and two other individuals over the publication of a report accusing him of destroying farmland in Ebonyi State.
In the suit dated January 23, 2020, Anyim joins Moses Orji, Ogbonna Paul Arochukwu, and the Independent Communications Network Ltd as defendants for what he termed “baseless, unfounded and malicious publication” of unlawful seizure of land against him.
Anyim is also demanding the sum of N100m as cost of the action against the defendants as “aggravated, punitive and exemplary damages over the embarrassment, public odium, derision, ridicule, obloquy, mental agony and psychological trauma which the defendants’ publication has caused the claimant.”
Anyim is also demanding an order of the court restraining the defendants from making such further publications, and to make a full-page written apology in major national dailies such as: Vanguard, Thisday, Daily Trust, Punch, The Nation, The Guardian, and the Sun newspapers.
The former Senate principal officer and Secretary to the Government of the Federation stated that he had not instructed anyone to take over anyone’s land, adding that the land issue is communal, and not being the head of the community, he is not responsible for decisions in respect of land.
He described the allegation as plot to damage his character and reputation.
No date has been fixed for hearing.
