Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, has obtained an interim injunction from Justice AFA Ademola of Abuja Federal High Court, to restrain All Progressive Congress, Premium Times and 10 other media establishments from “publishing or causing to be published any further defamatory statements” stating or suggesting that the minister “stole, misappropriate or colluded in the stealing of $20 billion crude oil revenue.”
In an application dated Friday, March 13, 2015, the minister’s lawyer, Godwin Obla has sought that the affected individuals and organizations should avoid publishing any material that is defamatory and malicious against the minister.
Among the defendants of the case are Those listed as defendants in the case are the All Progressives Congress, APC, Vanguard Media Limited and its editor, Mideno Bayagbon; Leadership Newspapers Group Limited and its editor Ekele Peter Agbo; Premium Times Services Limited and its editor in chief, Dapo Olorunyomi, and Vintage Press Limited and its editor, Lekan Otufodunrin.
The National Broadcasting Corporation and the Nigerian Press Council were also joined in the application.
According to reports, the Court directed the two government regulators to ensure Mrs. Alison-Madueke is not linked in any report regarding the alleged missing $20 billion either on broadcast media, internet, print or radio.
The media houses were thereby ordered to “desist from publishing any materials or running any program alluding to the complicity or collusion” the minister in respect of “$20billion, $49billion or any other figure, howsoever computed or arrived at, which are purportedly/allegedly missing or ‘unaccounted’ for”.
“You are hereby advised to immediately ensure total compliance with the Order of the Hon. Justice Ademola and to further cease and desist forthwith from publishing any material, howsoever titled or presented and irrespective of its form and content, which alludes to any amorous, immoral, salacious and defamatory matters connected to or related with our client, including anything to do with any allegation(s) or insinuation that our client colluded, was involved with or is complicit in the matter of a purportedly/allegedly missing $20billion, $49billion or any other amount whatsoever, until the determination of the substantive suit,”it stated.
Stating that compliance to the court order was not discretionary, but mandatory, Mr. Obla made it clear that any attempt to do otherwise would be tantamount to flouting a subsisting order of a competent court.
He said, “Failure to heed or give effect to the subsisting orders of the court will lead to the full force of the law being brought to bear upon your organization.”
