The High Court of Benue State in Makurdi has declared as malicious the claim that Tiv men offer their spouses to male guests for sexual pleasure under Tiv native law and custom.
The court made the declaration on Tuesday in a judgement delivered by the Chief Judge of Benue State, Maurice Ikpambese, in a case filed by a nonprofit organisation, Mzough U Tiv, against the Tiv Area Traditional Council (TATC).
Mzough U Tiv had filed the suit seeking declarative judgement against the false claim made by Venita Akpofure on the Big Brother Naija show.
In a writ of summon, counsel for the plaintiff, Douglas Pepe, averred that Ms Akpofure on the BBNaija show, which was broadcast worldwide by MultiChoice Company, asserted that Tiv men offered their wives to their male visitors for sexual pleasures.
Mr Pepe expressed shock that instead of pursuing a legal action against Ms Akpofure for making such defamatory statement, TATC as the overarching cultural body responsible for safeguarding the collective interests of the Tiv people, merely verbally condemned the assertion.
He submitted that what Ms Akpofure said on the BBNaija show about Tiv men had no supporting particulars to back up her falsehood.
“It was better if Venita Akpofure, an Urhobo from Delta State, had stated that in her marriage to a Tiv person, she was given out to another man for sexual pleasures,” Mr Pepe argued.
The plaintiff therefore sought the court to make a declaration that under the Tiv native law and custom, a Tiv man does not offer his wife to his visitor for sexual pleasure.
The plaintiff also sought an order of mandamus to compel TATC to promptly convene a meeting of the supreme council to initiate and subsequently issue a formal resolution codifying the principle that a Tiv man does not offer his wife to his visitor for sexual pleasure.
The plaintiff called three witnesses to prove its case.
Counsel for the defendant, E.K. Ashiekaa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), aligned himself with the argument of the plaintiff’s counsel.
The defendant called one witness and closed its case.
Delivering judgement, Ikpambese granted the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.
He said that Ms Akpofure’s assertion about Tiv men were malicious falsehood and lacked substance and should therefore be discountenanced.
