Court Orders N100m Damages Against Peoples Gazette for Defamation

The Lagos High Court, presided over by Justice E. O.

Ashad, awarded N100 million in general damages against Peoples Gazette Limited for defaming Hon. Justice Adedayo Akintoye. The case stemmed from a publication on February 22, 2021, which alleged that Justice Akintoye acquired a luxury flat in Dubai's Burj Khalifa while serving as a public official, portraying her as corrupt and dishonest.

Justice Akintoye sought damages and injunctive relief, claiming the report harmed her professional reputation. The court found that the defense's evidence was largely hearsay and failed to meet the burden of proof regarding the truth of the allegations.

The court ruled that while freedom of expression is protected under Section 39 of the Constitution, it must be balanced against the right to reputation. The judgment included N25 million in costs and ordered the publication to retract the defamatory statements and refrain from further similar publications.