Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
The High Court of Ebonyi State sitting in Abakaliki has awarded ₦5 million in general and aggravated damages against former Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Chika Nwoba, for defamatory Facebook publications against a lawyer, Ugadu Chinedu Ngele.
Delivering judgment in Suit No. HAB/75/2024 on February 19, 2026, Justice F. A. Edem held that several posts made by Nwoba on his Facebook page were defamatory and injurious to the reputation of the plaintiff.
The suit was instituted by Ngele through a writ of summons dated June 20, 2024, seeking judicial redress over a series of Facebook posts made by the defendant on June 15, 2024; September 18, 2024; February 18, 2025; February 19, 2025; and July 17, 2025.
In his amended statement of claim, the plaintiff sought, among other reliefs, a declaration that the posts were defamatory; ₦500 million in general and aggravated damages; a public retraction and apology; a perpetual injunction restraining further defamatory publications; and ₦4 million as the cost of the suit.
After reviewing the court processes, evidence from witnesses, and documentary exhibits tendered during the proceedings, the court ruled in favour of the plaintiff.
Justice Edem declared that the publications contained in the exhibits tendered before the court, which were made on the defendant’s Facebook page, were defamatory.
The court consequently ordered Nwoba to pay the sum of ₦5 million to Ngele as general and aggravated damages for the defamatory publications.
The court also granted a perpetual injunction restraining the former PDP spokesperson, his agents, servants, or privies from making any further defamatory statements against the lawyer on any media platform.
In addition, the judge directed the defendant to publish a retraction of the defamatory posts on his Facebook page within 30 days from the date of the judgment and to accompany the retraction with an apology to the plaintiff for seven consecutive days.
However, the court dismissed the plaintiff’s claim for ₦4 million as the cost of the suit, holding that the claim was not proven.
The defendant was not represented in court during the proceedings leading to the judgment.
The ruling underscores the judiciary’s stance on the misuse of social media platforms for defamatory publications and the protection of personal and professional reputations under Nigerian law.
