According to report reaching oyogist.com, a Federal High Court seated at Uyo Judicial Division has reportedly ordered one Mr. Leo Ekpenyong to pay the sum of N1.5 billion to the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel as damages for false publication.
In a Suit No: HU/279/2019 between Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel (Claimant) V Leo Ekpenyong Esq. (Defendant), the court also ordered the defendant to tender an apology to the governor.
It all started in late 2019 when Leo Ekpenyong in an article published on metrodailyng.com, claimed that Udom Emmanuel bribed tribunal judges with $1.5m to secure a judgment for Senator Chris Ekpenyong against Senator Akpabio.
Dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll, Senator Akpabio had headed to the tribunal which resolved the matter in favor of Senator Chris Ekpenyong.
But Mr. Leo Ekpenyong in his article alleged that Governor Udom Emmanuel had influenced the decision of the tribunal by paying the Judges a huge bribe.
The N1.5 billion judgment order was delivered by Hon. Justice E. F. F. Obot and it reads, “At the Pre-Trial Conference held in respect of this suit before this Honourable Court on the 15th of December, 2020.
The Court consequently ordered the defendant to: (1) pay the sum of N1.5 Billion Naira (One Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira) only to the claimant as general damages.
(2) that the defendant shall write and publish an apology to the claimant in the said on-line Newspaper called METRO DAILY NG. COM used by the defendant to publish the libelous article.
(3) that the defendant shall pay to the claimant the sum of N100,000.00 (One a Hundred Thousand Naira) as cost of this action.
