By Praise Chinecherem
Anambra State High Court, Otuocha Judicial Division, sitting at Onitsha, on 30th July, 2024, delivered a judgment and ordered, The Registered Trustees of Blessed Maryland Landlords’ Association, 3-3,Oze, Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Anambra State and their Chairman, Osita Enendu to apologize in writing to a tenant in their estate, Sir Chidi Elochukwu(KSM) and to also pay him the total sum of N2,500,000 (Two million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) as compensation for defamation of his character.
Barrister Seward Chukwunta of S.N. Chukwunta & Associates, Lawyers to the Counter Claimant, and the winner of the case said that the Landlords’ Association of Blessed Maryland Estate, 3-3, Oze, Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Anambra State defamed the character of his client, Sir Chidi Elochukwu (KSM) and the Court in its wisdom delivered judgment against them by ordering them to apologize to him in writing and to also pay monetary compensation to him for defaming his character.
According to his counsel, Seward Chukwunta: “character assassination can be very destructive and the way to avert the dangers associated to such situation where a person’s hard earned image is tarnished is to seek redress in a Court of law to put the record straight concerning the real character of the victim.
He further stated that the judiciary has through this judgment encouraged victims of character assassination to seek redress in court. He also said that people at all times should be careful about what they say and or write to avoid incurring the wrath of the law.
He further said that defamation of character in a written and or any other permanent form is libel; and in law libel is actionable per se, meaning that whether or not any injury has been caused to the victim of libel he or she will be entitled to compensation because the document containing defamatory statement in itself is by law presumed to be injurious to the victim provided it is established that such defamatory statement is published to a third party.
