A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Gwarinpa on Tuesday ordered that a N40 billion defamation suit against the Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, be served by substituted means.
Justice M. A. Hassan, ruling on an ex-parte motion, directed that the writ of summons, statement of claim, witness statements, hearing notice, and all court documents be pasted on the gate of the FCT headquarters in Garki, Abuja.
The suit, filed by Mr Tonye Patrick Cole, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, names Wike and Channels Incorporated Limited as defendants. Cole claims that Wike made false, malicious, and defamatory statements against him during a live broadcast on Channels TV’s Politics Today on September 18, alleging financial impropriety and mismanagement of state resources, including matters related to Rivers State gas and the Olympia Hotel.
Cole is seeking N40 billion in damages, N500 million for legal costs, as well as injunctive and declaratory reliefs, including a retraction of the statements, a public apology, and a perpetual injunction preventing further publication.
The court has fixed March 24 and 25, 2026, for the hearing and directed the defendants to enter an appearance within 21 days of service.
