Abike Dabiri Triumphs as Court Upholds Consolidation of Defamation Suit

The Federal Capital Territory Court in Bwari, Abuja, has dismissed a motion by Frederick Odorige aimed at overturning a previous court order from July 10, 2023.

This order consolidated the hearing of Hon. Abike Dabiri’s Preliminary Objection with the substantive suit against her, EKO HOT BLOG reports.

Presiding Judge Hon. Justice M.A. Madugu reaffirmed the court’s authority to consolidate the hearings for efficiency and dismissed Odorige’s motion.

The legal proceedings began when Frederick Odorige filed a suit against Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the Nigerian in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) on February 21, 2023, claiming N300 million in damages for alleged defamation.

In response, Dabiri-Erewa lodged a counterclaim of N2 billion.

Odorige contended that a tweet from Dabiri-Erewa on July 15, 2022, posted on her verified Twitter account (now X) @abikedabiri, unjustly portrayed him as a fraudster.

In the tweet, she criticized the disparity between the budgets of the Ministry of Health and NiDCOM, stating, “How can I propose a budget for the Ministry of Health while NiDCOM’s capital budget is N160 million for the whole year? Should I propose N234 million for another ministry?” This tweet included a remark that referred to Odorige as “an hungry man living in Hungary.”

In her defense, Dabiri-Erewa’s legal counsel argued that her tweet was a necessary rebuttal to Odorige’s earlier statement, which suggested that she was involved in embezzling NiDCOM funds.

The situation escalated following Odorige’s tweet, leading Sahara Reporters to publish an article titled “Alleged N235 Million Misappropriation: US-Based Nigerian Accuses Diaspora Commission Chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, of Fraud and Corruption.” This report drew significant public scrutiny, with many criticizing Dabiri-Erewa.

The court has now instructed Odorige to proceed with presenting his case, emphasizing the need for substantive evidence rather than prolonging proceedings without merit.

The case has been adjourned to November 26, 2024, when Odorige is expected to call his witnesses.