Justice E O Osinuga of Ogun State High Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta on Friday slammed a N500m damages against the the Gbengande of Ososa Ijebu in Odogbolu Local Government Area of the state, Oba Adetoye Alatishe for defaming the character and integrity of the industrialist and Chairman of Rite Foods, Dr. Sulaiman Adegunwa.
Justice Osinuga also mandated Oba Alatishe to publish apology and retraction of the libelous publication in three national newspapers; The PUNCH, The Nation and This Day.
The judge equally awarded N500,000 as cost of litigation against the royal father as well as an order of perpetual injunction restraining the monarch from ever maligning the reputation of the industrialist.
Incidentally, Adegunwa who marked his 80th birthday last Saturday is also an high profile community leader from Ososa and the Asiwaju of Ijebuland.
The libelous suit with number 4CJ/205/19 and dated November 25, 2019 was filed by the industrialist over what he considered as very defaming and defamatory petition letter Oba Alatishe reportedly wrote against him to former Governor Ibikunle Amosun on January 7, 2019.
The monarch was equally alleged to have sent copies of this petition to the then Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, the Commissioner for Police as well as the Special Adviser to Gov Amosun on Urban and Physical Planning among others.
The said libelous publication was also said to have been published in City People magazine of August 7, 2019 and Obanta Newsday of August 2019.
Oba Alatishe had in this letter alleged that "Alhaji Adegunwa at a gathering had promised to demolish the entire resuscitated and reconstructed Gbengande Market and turn same to palace while the present palace will be forcefully turned to a townhall through the office of the then Special Adviser on Urban and Physical Planning.
The monarch warned that "If this threat is not urgently checked and nipped in the bud, it is capable of leading to a monumental breach of peace, serious confrontation and total breakdown of law and order in the community".
Having considered this publication as baseless accusation, Adegunwa said that his lawyers had written the monarch demanding for apology and a retraction of same in three national newspapers but the traditional ruler refused to allow wisdom to prevail
He explained further that he was however forced to seek for a redress given the calculated damage the libelous publication had done to his image as an industrialist and philanthropist of note.
Adegunwa had prayed the court for "a declaration that the words employed by the Defendant in his letter of 7th January 2019 and his publication and republication in the City People Magazine Edition of 7th August 2019 and the Obanta Newsday of August 2019 constitute libel against the Claimant".
Other reliefs sought by Adegunwa included N5bn exemplary damages, an order of perpetual injunction restraining the monarch from perpetrating or carrying out any disparaging/libelous publication against the Claimant.
The industrialist also demanded for a retraction of the libelous publication in three national newspapers of The PUNCH, The Nation and This Day.
Justice Osinuga while giving her four hours judgement regretted that the monarch relied on hear say to arrive at the content of the libelous publication.
She said "When the Kabiyesi was asked of how he came about the information as contained in the letter, he said some people told him yet Kabiyesi was not ready to disclose these people".
The judge also held that it was wrong and so unwise for the royal father to have refused to tender an apology knowing fully well that he has no evidence to substantiate his allegations against the industrialist.
Osinuga held that a defamatory case had been strongly established against the monarch and therefore ruled in favour of the claimant, Dr. Adegunwa.
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