An Abuja High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has granted Governor Alex Otti of Abia State permission to serve his ₦100 billion defamation lawsuit on former Information Commissioner, Eze Chikamnayo, through Facebook and WhatsApp.
Justice J.E. Obanor made the ruling on October 16, 2025, approving substituted service after Otti’s legal team, led by Dr. Sonny Ajala (SAN), argued that the defendant actively used those platforms to publish the alleged defamatory materials.
According to the court order, the documents will be delivered via Chikamnayo’s Facebook account, “Iyierioba Chikamnayo,” and his registered WhatsApp number. The matter has been adjourned to January 19, 2026, for hearing.
Governor Otti’s suit, filed on October 8, 2025, accuses Chikamnayo of publishing “false, malicious, and damaging statements” between July and September 2025, including a Facebook post where he allegedly called the governor a “confirmed criminal and disaster.”
Otti contends that the posts have severely harmed his “reputation, respect, goodwill, and standing as a person, husband, father, and political leader.” He is seeking ₦100 billion in damages for psychological and emotional distress, ₦250 million in legal costs, and a public apology in major national newspapers such as ThisDay, The Nation, The Punch, and The National Ambassador.
The governor is also asking for a permanent injunction restraining Chikamnayo from making further defamatory statements.
In a prior letter dated October 2, 2025, Dr. Ajala (SAN) warned Chikamnayo to retract the posts within seven days, emphasizing that Governor Otti “has no criminal indictment or conviction by any court of law.” The counsel described the allegations as “deliberate falsehoods” aimed at tarnishing the governor’s public image.
Ajala further stated that the defamatory publications caused “unquantifiable mental torture and reputational damage” to Governor Otti — a claim now being pursued in court.
The defendant has 30 days from the date of receiving the court documents to respond, or risk judgment in his absence.
