The former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has slammed a N2.5bn libel suit against President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide, Lauretta Onochie over an alleged defamatory publication.
The suit was in fulfilment of Atiku’s threat to sue the lady, following her tweet on 7 May alleging that Atiku was on the watchlist of UAE over criminal matters.
Atiku had left Nigeria in April for Dubai in the UAE, leaving room for speculations. He returned last week, after one of his aides died in Dubai.
Onochie, special assistant to Buhari on social media, in the tweets also suggested Atiku was shopping for terrorists in the Middle East.
“Atiku on UAE watchlist – security sources; Security operatives in the United Arab Emirates are keeping a close tab on a former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who has been in Middle East nation for several weeks now. What is he doing there? Me: shopping for terrorists?
In the suit, Atiku insists that there is no iota of truth in the said publication and that it has caused him national and international embarrassment as well as incalculable damages.
Channels TV reported that Atiku was at the Registry of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama where he formally deposed to his statement of claim before the Commissioner for Oaths.
Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria is Atiku’s lawyer.
