The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a suit by former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside seeking to set aside N6 billion damages awarded against him for defaming the character of the former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili.
In a judgment prepared over by Justice Adamu Augie, but delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro, the Peterside’s appeal was dismissed for want of merit.
The apex court upheld the decisions of the lower courts which imposed a fine of N6 billion on him to be paid to Odili as compensation for his defamed character.
Odili had in October 2016 dragged Peterside to court demanding N6 billion as damages for character defamation.
In the suit, the former Rivers State Governor had claimed that Peterside, during a press conference in Port Harcourt, defamed him in his allegations that Governor Nyesom Wike’s Supreme Court victory was hatched by him.
This allegation was made on the fact that the wife of Mr Odili, Mrs Mary Ukaego Odili is a Supreme Court justice.
