Human Rights Activist, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has instructed his counsel to vigorously pursue legal remedies on his behalf, including appeals, against the Judgement ordering him to pay the sum of N250 million naira for defaming Dr. Peter Odili.

This was made known in a press release signed by TAP Legal, and sighted by TheNigerialawyer (TNL).

According to the statement made available to TNL, the statement is issued in response to inquiries received from various well wishers from within and outside Nigeria. The TAP legal stated that they cannot comment on the Judgement because they are yet to obtain a copy of it. They, however, stated that complaint had been made against Justice Augustina Kingsley-Chuku before the National Judicial Council.

“We have received report of judgment in the case.We are yet to obtain a copy of the judgment and therefore cannot comment until we have studied the judgment.

“We had in the course of proceedings filed a petition against the presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Augustina Kingsley-Chuku, before the National Judicial Council (NJC) for manifest acts of bias in clear breach of the Judicial Code of Conduct & violation of basic constitutional guarantees of due process, which made impossible a fair representation of the interests of our clients in the proceedings.

“Every effort to bring these breaches to the attention of the court was frustrated. Counsel was denied the basic right to present their case & when counsel applied to the court to recuse itself, the court repeatedly doubled down, ultimately forcing counsel to withdraw from further participation in the proceedings. At the time of the reported judgment, there are appeals pending before the Court of Appeal against several rulings of the court, including its claim of jurisdiction.

“There is also pending before the National Judicial Council, a complaint of judicial misconduct in connection with the proceedings in this case. It has not come as a surprise to us that other court users have alleged a similar experience in this particular court, including, most recently, the national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, who similarly laid a complaint of bias against this same court.

“Our clients have instructed counsel to vigorously pursue legal remedies on his behalf, including appeals. They intend to do just that in faith that the Nigerian judicial system is eminently well equipped to correct every travesty,” it reads.

TNL recalls that the Court had ordered payment of damages of the sum of N250 million
in Suit No. PHC/3193/2018, against Chidi Odinkalu for alleging defaming Dr. Peter Odili.