Court Orders Former PDP Vice Chairman Two Others To Pay N100Million For Malicious Accusations Against 20 Party Members
The court found Odefa guilty of misusing the police to harass the defendants, who were involved in his suspension from the PDP in Oguduokwor Ward.
AFederal High Court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has ordered the expelled former National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) (Southeast Zone), Mr. Ali Odefa, to pay N100 million in damages.
This ruling comes after 20 PDP members, including executives from Oguduokwor Ward in Onicha Local Government Area, filed a lawsuit against Odefa for allegedly making false and malicious accusations against them to the police.
The court found Odefa guilty of misusing the police to harass the defendants, who were involved in his suspension from the PDP in Oguduokwor Ward.
Despite claiming that the defendants had forged documents to suspend him, Odefa failed to provide evidence to support his allegations.
As a result, the court issued an order restraining Odefa and the police from further harassing or intimidating the defendants.
The court also awarded each of the 20 defendants N5 million in damages, totalling N100 million, which must be paid within seven days of the judgment. Failure to pay will result in a 10% daily interest charge.
Notably, Odefa’s counsel was absent from the court during the ruling, while the OC Legal of the Nigeria Police Ebonyi State Command represented the Commissioner of Police.
The court judgement SaharaReporters sighted on Friday, FHC/AI/CS/FHR/197 had Hon. Herbert Onyedikachi, Hon Anoke, Egbe, Njoku Nwagu, Moses Idika, Ogbonnaya Idika, Obinna Chukwu, Chief John Igboke, Mrs. Ijeoma Nome, Okorie C. Okorie and nine others was listed as first to 20 Applicants, who are 20 members of the PDP, including Executives of the party in Oguduokwor Ward in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Odefa; Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State and the Inspector General of Police, were listed in the court document as first to third Respondents.
The ruling was delivered by Justice Hilary I. O. Oshomah, who presided over the matter seeking the enforcement of the Applicants’ fundamental human rights against the “false and malicious accusations levelled against them by Mr. Ali Odefa”.
Odefa was expelled from the PDP on December 12, 2024 by the executives of PDP Oguduokwor Ward after a disciplinary committee of the party recommended his expulsion having found him guilty of anti-party activities.
