Alleged false publication: Ex-COAS Buratai drags Sahara Reporters publisher to court, demands N10bn damages

Former Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai has taken publisher Omoyele Sowore before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory over allegation of false publication.

Buratai is seeking N10 billion damages because according to him, Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters, a United States-based online medium, linked him to a report that the anti-graft agency, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, found billions of currency notes in local and foreign denominations at an apartment in Abuja.

According to Buratai in suit number FCT/HC/CV/252/2022 filed through his lawyer, Dr. Reuben Atabo, SAN, Sowore and his medium should be restrained from further publishing or caused to publish any defamatory publication against him.

The senior advocate prayed the court for the following reliefs: A declaration that the defendant’s publication dated 23rd day of June 2022 with the caption “EXCLUSIVE: Anti-graft Agency, ICPC Uncovers Billions in Cash Meant for Arms, Ammunition To Fight Boko Haram In Abuja Home Of Ex Chief Of Army Staff, Buratai amounts to defamation of the Claimant’s character, an order mandating the defendant to retract the said publication with a public apology which must be published in two national dailies and on the defendant’s online platform where the defamatory publication was made, an injunction restraining the defendant whether by themselves, servants, agents or otherwise, from further publishing or causing to be published the said or similar words defamatory of the claimant, damages in the sum of N10 billion being general and aggravated damages for libelous words falsely, maliciously and recklessly published by the defendant of and concerning the claimant in the online publication.