Atiku files N2.5bn libel suit against Lauretta Onochie over Tweets

The Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the February 23rd election, Atiku Abubakar has filed a N2.5bn libel suit against a Presidential aide, Mrs Lauretta Onochie

Atiku, who is also a former Vice President of Nigeria made good his threat to sue Lauretta Onochie over a libelous publication. He was at the Registry of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama where he formally deposed to his own witness statement on Oath before the Commissioner for Oaths to kick-start the libel suit against Onochie, the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Media.

Atiku had in May this year threatened legal action against Onochie. The legal action was in connection to a publication wherein, Onochie on her twitter handled, alleged that Atiku is on the watch list of security operatives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for alleged criminal matters.

Onochie in the said publication of May 7, 2019, also accused Atiku of shopping for terrorists in the Middle East.

“Atiku on UAE watchlist – security sources; Security operatives in the United Arab Emirates are keeping a close tab on a former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who has been in Middle East nation for several weeks now. What is he doing there? Me: shopping for terrorists?

The PDP presidential candidate insisted that there is no iota of truth in the said publication which is beginning to affect public perception of his person.

This move was confirmed to Channels TV by his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome who described Onochie’s statement as not only vile and denigrating but a calculated attempt to disparage his person in the eyes of right-thinking members of the public.