A High Court in the Gwarinpa area of Abuja has ordered that a ₦40 billion defamation suit be served on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, through substituted means.
The case was filed by Tonye Cole, a former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State. He dragged Wike and Channels Television to court over comments Wike made during the September 18 edition of the programme Politics Today, which Cole says damaged his reputation.
Cole’s suit, marked CV/4502/25, claims that Wike’s statements on the show falsely accused him of misconduct linked to Rivers State gas projects and the Olympia Hotel. According to Cole, the remarks were untrue, made in bad faith, and painted him as dishonest.
His lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), told the court that the broadcast seriously harmed Cole’s image in Nigeria and abroad. Cole is demanding ₦40 billion as damages for reputational harm and an additional ₦500 million to cover the cost of filing the case.
He is also seeking several court orders, including:
A declaration that Wike’s statements were false and defamatory
A retraction and public apology on Channels Television
Removal of all versions of the broadcast from the station’s platforms
Publication of the apology in at least five national newspapers
A permanent order stopping Wike and Channels TV from making similar statements about him in the future
Okutepa informed the court that personal service on Wike had been difficult, even though a pre-action notice and demand letter were sent on October 8. Because of this, he asked for permission to serve the documents by pasting them at the gate of Wike’s office.
Justice M. A. Hassan granted the request, directing that all court papers—including the writ of summons, statement of claim, witness statements, and hearing notice—be pasted at the entrance of the FCT Minister’s office in Garki. The court ordered the defendants to respond within 21 days.
The matter was then adjourned to March 24 and 25, 2026, for hearing.
