Justice O.C. Agbaza of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has issued a restraining order barring a retired boxer, Bash Ali, from further making or publishing any denigrating or defamatory material against the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare.
The minister had on June 25, approached the Federal High Court, Abuja division seeking a restraining order and charging Bash Ali with libel and defamation of character.
The lawyers to the minister from the Keyamo Chambers spent months unable to serve Bash Ali due to the judicial workers strike.
Upon resumption and with the serial defamation by bash Ali continuing the lawyers approached the court this time the Keyamo team and Wole Olanipekun team as counsels secured the restraining order.
Sometime in April, 2021, Bash Ali, in a letter widely circulated to the public, made several allegations against the minister. The minister denied those allegations and to assert his innocence, filed Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/1269/2021seeking injunctive reliefs and pecuniary damages from Bash Ali on account of the defamatory publication.
Despite the pendency of the suit, Bash Ali recently published a video on social media in which he repeated those allegations against the minister and also issued threats against the minister and the ministry.
In response, the minister through his counsel, Festus Keyamo Chambers, filed an Interlocutory application with motion No. M/7145/2021 seeking an order restraining Bash Ali from further denigrating him until the suit is resolved one way or the other.
The court presided over by Justice O.C. Agbaza granted the reliefs sought by the minister on October 27, 2021.
While confirming this position, counsel to the minister, Festus Ukpe of Festus Keyamo Chambers further stated that by virtue of this order, any further denigrating or defamatory publication by Bash Ali against the minister would amount to contempt of the court, and is punishable as a crime under the law.
The matter has now been adjourned to February 2022 for further hearing.