JAMES SHEHU ABIRIYI, J.C.A. (Delivering the Leading Judgment): This is an appeal against the judgment delivered on 30th July, 2015 in the High Court of Akwa Ibom State sitting at Uyo.
In the High Court (the Court below), the Appellant was the plaintiff. The Respondent was the defendant. The Appellant claimed against the Respondent for:
1) ₦10 million Naira damages for slander, an apology to him and an injunction restraining the Respondent from further publishing the slander.
The case of the Appellant was that the Respondent, on or about 9th August, 2012, knowing that, he (Appellant) was about to marry went about the village and its environs far and wide maliciously and falsely uttering the following words translated into English from a provincial language:
“Afo amediono nte ke nwan emi udo eka afo oyomde ndido do asana ye idib? Ndien nte ke eyen eka fo esin eye? Amediono nte ke ema ebin Udo eka fo esio ke esop Abasi, ke enye idihe owo Ntiense Jehovah. Nte ke nwan emi eye oyomde ndido mi …