By: Amb. Valentine Adese (JP),
Hon. Edward G. Pwajok (SAN) has dragged one Mr. James Nyango, a Civil Servant working with Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) to Court over an alleged defamatory publication, and demanding the sum of N250,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) only, as “General Damages”.
The case from the Court’s record is coming up for hearing on the 19th of September 2024, at the Plateau State High Court Jos.
According to the processes filed by Hon. Pwajok (SAN) in Court in Suit No: PLD/J322/2024, against Mr. James Nyango, a Director in JUTH, and an alleged member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), from the same ethnic group with him, over the alleged defamatory publication in his post on his Facebook page on the 16th of January 2024, Hon. Pwajok claims that the libelous publication has caused huge pain and distress to him and his family members.
HON. EDWARD PWAJOK (SAN)
In the Statement of Compliance with Pre-Action Protocol deposed to by, J. Y. Gwom (Esq), Counsel to Pwajok (SAN) in compliance with the directions of the Pre-Action Protocol, as set out in Order 5 Rule 1 (2) of the High Court of Plateau State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2020, the Counsel stated that all efforts to settle the matter out of court has failed as all attempts to reach out to the Defendant had proved abortive using both hard copies and the electronic platforms.
In part, and according to the Claimant’s Counsel in the filed deposition on Oath, Sworn to at the High Court’s Registry Jos, on 23rd April 2024, the Counsel stated that the defamatory publication had allegedly defamed Hon. Pwajok (SAN) to an inestimable level.
The Counsel stated that “The Claimant avers that he is one of the eight (8) legal practitioners of Plateau Origin who have been privileged to be conferred with the distinguished rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
“The Claimant is the first Indigenous Senior Advocate of Nigeria from the Berom ethnic group and indeed the Northern Zone of Plateau State.
“That apart from being privileged to be a member of the distinguished Body of Benchers which is the body of the highest distinction in the legal profession in Nigeria and which calls Lawyers to the Nigerian Bar and regulates the legal profession in Nigeria, he is one of the two Life Benchers indigenous to Plateau State.
“The Claimant is No. 80 in seniority among the 144 Life Benchers as of the time of filing this claim.
EDWARD PWAJOK (SAN)
“The Claimant
avers that as a member of the Body of Benchers because of his good standing in
the profession, he was made a member of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary
Committee (LPDC), from 2009-2014. And he was the first Plateau Indigene to
serve in that Committee which disciplines Lawyers for professional misconduct”.
You would recall that REALITY had reported that Hon. Pwajok (SAN) is seeking the Court to declare that the publication written and posted by the Defendant on his Facebook page on the 16th day of January 2024, while referring to the Claimant having also posted his picture are libelous, reckless, and defamatory to the person of the Claimant.
He is also seeking an order of Perpetual Injunction restraining the Defendant his agents, privies, partners or anybody howsoever described from writing, publishing, or authoring further publications or write-ups in the print or electronic media (notwithstanding the platform) which are libelous, derogatory and defamatory against the Claimant, and an order directing the Defendant to pay the sum of N250,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) only, as general damages to the Claimant for the libelous words contained in the Defendant’s write up posted on his Facebook page on the 16th day of January 2024 which has defamed and damaged the reputation, dignity, and integrity of the Claimant in the eyes of the right-thinking members of the society, among others.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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