The Supreme Court has fixed May 27, 2022 as judgment in a suit instituted against a former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, by former Rivers state governor, Dr. Peter Odili.
The matter is bordering on a N6 billion character defamation suit.
After taking final arguments for and against the suit on Monday, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola who led a five-man panel of Justices of the court that heard the matter announced that a final decision on the defamation of character suit would be known on May 27.
Odili had in October 2016 dragged Peterside to court demanding N6 billion as damages for character defamation.
In the suit, the former Rivers state governor had claimed that Peterside during a press conference in Port Harcourt defamed him in his allegations that Governor Nyesom Wike’s Supreme Court victory was hatched by him.
Dr Odili’s wife is a Justice of the Supreme Court.
During Monday’s proceedings, lead counsel for Odili, Kanu Agabi (SAN) urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal by Peterside and enter judgment in favour of Dr Odili.
However, Damian Okoro, counsel to Dakuku Peterside asked the Apex court to allow the appeal and set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the N6 billion naira defamation suit.
