Okenyi Kenechi
A High Court sitting in Port-Harcourt and presided over by Justice A.U. Kingsley-Chuku has adjourned to 9 Jan 2019, hearing in suit no PHC/3193/2018 between Dr Peter Odili v. Prof Chidi Odinkalu & Aisha Osori.
On 31 Oct 2018, former Rivers State Gov, Dr Peter Odili, issued Writ of Summons at High Court of Rivers State against the duo claiming that their recent book, ‘Too Good To Die’ libelled him with claims that were “untrue” & “painted him in a bad light.
He is demanding a published apology and N1 billion from Mr Odinkalu and Ms Osori, and that further publication of copies of the book must cease immediately.
During a hearing on Monday for intent on hearing the application for interlocutory injunction, Dr Odili was again present in court in person as were his lawyers. However, in the face of the objection by the defendants, arguments could not proceed.
Dr Odili, through his counsel, Kanu Agabi, SAN, therefore, asked for a short adjournment to respond to the objection by the defendants to the hearing of the case in the Rivers State High Court. The court adjourned the case to 9 Jan 2019
In the defamation charges prepared for Odili, the former governor said he took note of excerpts of the book in which the authors narrated how late politician, Harry Marshall, was assassinated soon after they publicly fell out with each other in 2003.
The book cited a letter which Marshall had written to the police in Rivers at the time, expressing strong concerns about a growing spate of intimidation and violent attacks against members of the All Nigeria’s Peoples Party (ANPP) in the state.
The book also painted vivid details of how Odili helped bankroll the third term agenda which Obasanjo pushed to perpetuate himself in power beyond the 2007 expiration of his constitutionally-approved two terms of eight years.
“Most of the cash distributed in support of the project were wrapped in bundles bearing the stamp of First Inland Bank. Unknown to most people, First Inland Bank’s history lay buried in networks of loyalty between some of the most influential leaders of the ruling party, including President Obasanjo himself,” the authors wrote on page 162.
“The corporate trail however disclosed a deep financial bond between the president, Senator Ararume and the governments of Bauchi and Rivers States, then ruled, respectively, by two of President Obasanjo’s closest governorship acolytes, Adamu Muazu and Peter Odili, who were at the centre of shadowy, complex, unlawful and, almost certainly, criminal financial operations behind third term,” the authors added.
