The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja today 14/6/2022 upheld a judgement of the FCT high court delivered in 2017 awarding 10M naira damages against an Abuja based newspaper, Abuja Inquirer and its publisher for a defamatory and libelous publication against Dr Kingsley Kuku , former Special Adviser to former president Goodluck Jonathan who was also the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty programme.
In a judgement delivered on Tuesday 14th June, 2022, the appellate court dismissed the appeal filed by the newspaper seeking to upturn the decision of the FCT High Court which awarded 10. Million naira for it’s defamatory publication in August 2015 wherein they published that Hon Kingsley Kuku fled Nigeria after being declared wanted by the EFCC.
Reacting to the judgment at the premises of the Court, Counsel to Dr Kingsley Kuku, Solomon TUNYAN hailed the Appellate Court decision and stated that the judgment will serve as a lesson to those who have chosen the path of making libelous publication against innocent people just to tarnish their hard earned reputation. He maintained that Hon Kingsley Kuku is a man who brought so much peace and stability to the Niger Delta of this country thereby bringing peace to the region. Apart from upholding the judgment the Court of Appeal equally dismissed the appeal as lacking in merit and awarded fifty thousand naira cost against the appellant.
Signed.
Femi Adeniyi
Media Aide to Dr. Kingsley Kuku.