Court Okays Gov Otti To Serve ₦100bn Defamation Suit On Eze Chikamnayo Via Facebook, WhatsApp

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has granted permission to Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, to serve a ₦100 billion defamation lawsuit on former Commissioner for Information, Eze Chikamnayo, through social media platforms — Facebook and WhatsApp.

Delivering the ruling on October 16, 2025, Justice J.E. Obanor approved the governor’s request for substituted service, following arguments that Chikamnayo had consistently used these online platforms to publish defamatory statements against the governor.

The court ordered that all court documents be served via Chikamnayo’s Facebook page “Iyierioba Chikamnayo” and his registered WhatsApp number, affirming the method as valid service under the law. The case has been adjourned to January 19, 2026, for further hearing.

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Governor Otti, represented by Dr. Sonny Ajala (SAN), filed the suit on October 8, 2025, accusing Chikamnayo of making a series of false, malicious, and damaging social media posts between July and September 2025. One of the posts, dated September 22, 2025, reportedly described the governor as “Alex Otthief is a confirmed criminal and disaster.”

According to the court filings, the governor contends that the publications have caused serious harm to his reputation, dignity, and public image. He is seeking ₦100 billion in damages, an additional ₦250 million for litigation costs, and a public apology in four major newspapers — ThisDay, The Nation, The Punch, and The National Ambassador.

The suit also seeks a perpetual injunction restraining Chikamnayo from publishing any further defamatory material against him.

The court directed the defendant to respond within 30 days of receiving the documents, warning that failure to do so may result in a default judgment in favour of Governor Otti.

Before the lawsuit, Otti’s lawyers had written to Chikamnayo on October 2, 2025, demanding a public retraction of the alleged defamatory posts — a demand the former commissioner allegedly ignored.