A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has granted an application to serve all court processes in the N40 billion defamation suit on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, by substituted means.

A former Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Patrick Cole, filed the fundamental rights enforcement suit, over defamatory statements made against him by Wike on a national television.

Cole is seeking N40billion in damages over alleged defamatory statements made by Wike during a live broadcast on Channels TV’s “Politics Today” on September 18.

Justice M.A Hassan, made the order yesterday, while ruling on an exparte application filed and moved by counsel to Cole, Mr Jibrin Okutepa (SAN).

Specifically, the court ordered that the applicant should paste the writ of summons, statement of claim, hearing notice and the entire court processes, on the headquarters of the FCT, in Garki, Abuja.

At a resumed sitting, Okutepa narrated the challenges encountered by the applicant in a bid to serve the court papers on the defendant, and prayed that the court permits the plaintiff to serve the court’s documents through substituted service.

After granting the request, Justice Hassan fixed March 25 and 26, 2026 for hearing in the suit marked CV/4502/25.

Tonye Patrick Cole, had sued Wike and Channels Incorporated Limited to court, over alleged defamation.

According to the writ of summons and the attached statement of claim, Cole alleged that Wike’s statements during a live broadcast on Channels TV’s “Politics Today” on September 18, were “false, malicious, offensive, and damaging to his reputation in personal, professional, and public capacities”.

Court documents indicate that Mr Wike referred to Mr Cole in a manner suggesting financial impropriety and mismanagement of state resources, including allegations related to Rivers State gas and the Olympia Hotel.

Mr Cole’s legal team, led by J.S. Okutepa, argued that the statements are defamatory, as they impute dishonesty and wrongdoing, gravely injuring his client’s standing both nationally and internationally.

Consequently, Cole is seeking N40 billion for alleged damages resulting from what he described as a “malicious, reckless, and unfounded defamatory broadcast and publications,” which caused him “injury, humiliation, mental anguish, and reputational harm”.

Also, the APC Governorship candidate in the 2023 election in Rivers state is seeking N500 million for the cost of the legal action, as well as several injunctive and declaratory reliefs.

Among the reliefs, the Applicant wants a declaration that the statements were false and defamatory, an order directing the defendants to retract the claims and remove all copies from all platforms, and a public apology broadcast on Channels TV and published in at least five national newspapers.

More so, Cole is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing or disseminating defamatory material related to him.

According to Okutepa, a pre-action notice and letter of demand dated 8 October, were served on both Wike and Channels Television, but the defendants failed to comply, prompting the initiation of court proceedings.

Meanwhile, the court has directed the defendants to enter an appearance within 21 days of service of the writ. (The Sun)

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