A Federal Capital Territory High Court has ordered N10 million in damages to be paid to Apostle Johnson Suleman, the General Overseer of Omega Ministries International, by well-known Nollywood actress Halima Abubakar.
Abubakar’s disparaging remarks about the cleric sparked this legal action, and the court responded by granting the actress a restraining order that forbade her from saying anything disparaging ever again.
Apostle Suleman received a favorable ruling after Justice Enobie Obanor examined the issue and concluded that Abubakar’s remarks on her Instagram handle were malicious and false.
The court’s ruling includes N10,000,000.00 in exemplary and aggravating damages as well as a judgment of defamation against Abubakar. Furthermore, Abubakar must take down any offensive material from internet sites and take back the remarks she made on her Instagram account.
In a surprising turn of events, Abubakar had earlier revealed information about her romance with Apostle Suleman, asserting that he had pursued her in spite of his marriage. She claimed that even after she turned down his advances, he continued to pursue her and even set up an introduction for marriage.
However, Apostle Suleman responded to her claims by using Abubaacckar of disseminating false and defamatory information in a lawsuit requesting N1 billion in damages.
The significance of responsible communication and the negative effects of defamation in the public sphere are highlighted by this judicial dispute.
