Justice O.C. Agbaza of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has issued a restraining order, barring Bash Ali from further making or publishing any denigrating or defamatory material against the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare.
The Minister, on 25 June, 2021, approached the Federal High Court, Abuja Division seeking a restraining order and charging Bash Ali with libel and defamation of character.
The Minister’s lawyers from the Keyamo Chambers spent months unable to serve Bash due to the judicial workers strike that lasted for months.
Upon resumption of duty by the judicial workers coupled with continued serial defamation by Bash Ali, the lawyers approached the court, this time teaming up with lawyers from Wole Olanipekun, SAN’s Chamber, and secured the restraining order.
Below is the restraining order by the court:
It will be recalled that sometime in April, 2021, Bash Ali had in a letter, which he made available to the public, made several allegations against the Honourable Minister. The Honourable Minister denied those allegations and to assert his innocence, the Honourable Minister filed Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/1269/2021 seeking injunctive reliefs and pecuniary damages from Bash Ali on account of the defamatory publication. Despite the pendency of this suit, Bash Ali recently published a video on social media in which he repeated those false allegations against the Honourable Minister and also issued several threats against the Honourable Minister and the Ministry.
In response, the Honourable Minister through his counsel, Festus Keyamo Chambers, filed an Interlocutory application with Motion No. M/7145/2021 seeking an order restraining Bash Ali from further denigrating the Honourable Minister until the pending suit is resolved one way or the other. The Honourable Court presided over by Honourable Justice O.C. Agbaza granted the reliefs sought by the Honourable Minister on the 27th October, 2021.
While confirming this position, counsel to the Honourable Minister, Festus Ukpe, Esq of Festus Keyamo Chambers further stated that by virtue of this order, any further denigrating or defamatory publication by Bash Ali against the Honourable Minister is contemptuous of the majesty of the court and is punishable as a crime under our laws. The matter has now been adjourned till February 2022 for further hearing.
