Ekiti State former Commissioner for Information, Kayode Otitoju is in big trouble.
The state ex-Governor, Kayode Fayemi has filed a N500 million suit against him (Otitoju) and Arise Television for alleged defamation and malicious airing of offending broadcast against him (Fayemi).
Fayemi is demanding N250 million from Arise TV and another N250 million from Kayode Otitoju for alleged defamatory comments made by him (Otitoju) as an analyst on the television station on November 22, 2022.
In the suit, HAD/10/2023, filed on January 25, 2023, before an Ekiti State High Court through his lawyer, Babatunde Oke, Fayemi demanded a retraction of the defamatory statements by Otitoju while appearing as an analyst on Arise TV.
Fayemi also demanded a public apology published in at least three national newspapers in Nigeria and posted on the internet/social media.
He also seeks the leave of the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from making further defamatory publications or statements against him as he also demands the sum of N20 million cost of the suit from them as well as the 10 per cent interest on the judgment sum from the date the judgment is delivered until the sum is finally liquidated.
Fayemi averred that he had been exposed and subjected to “unwarranted embarrassment, public ridicule, opprobrium, odium, and unprecedented disrepute”
Fayemi said: “Otitoju made several damaging and grievous allegations against my person during the programme, where he described me as the problem we have in Ekiti.”
“He accused me of colluding with the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti Judicial Division judge, Justice Babs Kuewumi, to perpetrate perversion of justice in the suit filed by an All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant, Kayode Ojo, against the governorship primary victory of Biodun Oyebanji on January 27, 2022.”
