Defamation: Actress Halima Abubakar to pay Apostle Suleman N10m
Following an allegation of defamation, Nollywood actress Halima Abubakar has been ordered to pay the Senior Pastor and General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleman, the sum of N10 million.
The fine was slammed on the actress by a Federal Capital Territory High Court for publishing libellous statements about the preacher.
The cleric had dragged the “Deadly Plot” actress to court for publishing derogatory comments against him on her Instagram page, which were in turn published by several blogs and newspapers.
In his judgement on Monday, Justice Enobie Obanor noted that Abubakar was allowed to defend herself in the matter but failed to do so.
The judgement partly reads, “The statements published by the defendant against the claimant on her Instagram handle, @halimabubakar, falsely and maliciously written and published to the general public, are defamatory of the person of the claimant.
“The sum of N10,000,000 only to the claimant as aggravated and exemplary damages for libel contained in the publication of the defendant against the claimant on her Instagram handle, @Halimabubakar and caused to be published in several blogs.”
The court also barred Abubakar from any further publication on Apostle Suleman.
