Secondus vs Lai: Courts adjourns ruling on jurisdiction to October

The Port Harcourt high court had adjourned till 8th October for motion on the matter brought before it by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus challenging the
the inclusion of his name in the list of looters of the nation’s treasury by the minister of information, Lai Mohammed.

Recall that Secondus had approached the Rivers State high court presided by the Chief Judge, Justice Iyayi Lamikanra in suit number PHC/1013/2018
seeking the sum of 1.5 billion Naira as damage for publishing his name in the list of alleged looters.

Counsel to the minister for information, Lai Muhammed, argued on the motion he filed that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the suit since the publication was done in Lagos State.

While opposing to the argument, EMEKA ETIABA, counsel to Prince Uche Secodus said jurisdiction does not count in matters of defamation.

In her ruling, Chief Judge Justice Iyayi Laminkanra adjourned the matter for ruling on whether the court has the jurisdiction to entertain the suit or not.

Speaking to our reporter, counsel to Uche Secondus, Emeka Etiaba said that since 6th April that the case was filed, counsel to Vintage publishers and Lai Mohammed is yet to file a defence in the matter.

“Today the court heard the motion and have adjourned for the ruling. We hope that at the end of the day we will be justified. We also hope that at the end of the day, they will finally file their defence, which I know they will not as they will continue to play on technicality pretending that they are challenging the jurisdiction of the court.

“We will wait and see. My happiness today is that no defence has come. In the law of defamation, there is nothing called justification if you have published the truth that gives you a defence. If there was any truth in what they said they, would have come to court with a proof of what they said”