INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS LTD HAREFE NIGERIA LTD AKPANDEM JAMES ROTIMI FADEYI V. HON. JUSTICE EFFIONG DAVID UDO IDIONG

AKAAHS JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): The plaintiff (now respondent) instituted suit No. HU/231/2004 against the defendants (appellants) claiming jointly and severally the sum of N5,000,000,000.00

(five billion naira) as compensatory and exemplary damages for libel maliciouslywritten, printed and published and/or caused to be written, printed and published by thedefendants of and concerningthe plaintiff and concerning him in his office as a judicial officer and as the Chief Judge and Head of the Judiciary Arm of Government of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria on pages 1 and A2, in the issue of a newspaper called Daily Independent, Vol. 3, No. 428, of Thursday, 22 April 2004 and headed “ A’Ibom Chief Judge arrested over bribe, four other Judges also in the net ” and at page A4 of the same Newspaper, Volume 3, No. 439, Friday, 7 May 2004.

He also sought for an injunction restraining defendants whether by themselves or by their agents or otherwise from writing, printing, publishing or ca…