Ex-Nigeria Envoy Drags Onyeama to US Court Over Libel

A former Nigerian Ambassador to Namibia, Lilian Onoh, has filed a libel suit at the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas against a former Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama.

The suit filed by Ms Onoh’s lawyer, Steven Thornton, on 22 December, listed Sahara Reporters and its publisher Omoyele Sowore as defendants.

Also joined in the case is Gabriel Aduda who was a Permanent Secretary at the ministry. Aduda is currently a Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in Abuja.

The case has been assigned to Judge Jane J. Boyle for adjudication but no date has been fixed for hearing.

The claimant in the court documents accused Onyeama and Aduda of using Sahara Reporters, a New York-based online newspaper, to defame her.

In the suit before the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Ms Onoh’s lawyer, Steven Thornton, said Sahara Reporters in April, published an article alleging that Ms Onoh was sacked by the Nigerian government on account of misappropriation of N50 million.

Mr Thornton noted that the media outlet published Ms Onoh’s photograph in the story, to ensure the object of the story was not mistaken.

In court papers, the claimant’s lawyer decried Sahara Reporters’ portrayal of his client as being corrupt having informed its global audience of diversion of funds meant for the running of Nigeria’s High Commission in Namibia.

“The article then claims that the Nigerian Federal Civil Service Commission fired Ms. Onoh in 2021. Sahara Reporters next claimed that a “report by a seven-man committee indicted the controversial former Nigerian High Commissioner to Namibia over her alleged financial misappropriation while serving in the Southern African country”.

According to the alleged defamatory story, Sahara Reporters claimed Messrs Aduda and Onyeama were members of the investigative committee that indicted Ms Onoh of fraud.

“Sahara Reporters noted that Defendant Aduda and Defendant Onyeama were members of this committee.

“Reporters also referenced two alleged letters regarding Ms. Onoh’s dismissal that this Commission sent to Ms. Onoh detailing the reasons for her termination. The article further stated that this Commission ordered Ms. Onoh to refund to the Nigerian mission all the money that she had improperly used,” the court papers showed.

In his submissions, Mr Thornton said the basis of Sahara Reporters’ article was statements and claims credited to Messrs Aduda and Onyeama about Ms. Onoh.

“The reason for their making false statements about Ms. Onoh was to discredit her following her reporting of corruption by those defendants,” Mr Thornton added.

Ms Onoh had in a series of memos to then Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, accused Mr Onyeama of condoning corrupt practices at the foreign ministry which he supervised.

“Specifically, as an Ambassador, Ms. Onoh had reported multiple incidents of embezzlement of millions of U.S. Dollars and Billions of Naira of Nigerian Government funds by various Nigerian officials.

“Further, she reported the embezzlement of $2.8 Million Dollars in Red Cross Funds meant for Haiti earthquake victims as well as the egregious acts of visa racketeering against the USA and other countries in which her successor in Jamaica had engaged.”

The claimant’s lawyer contended that Sahara Reporters claims in the alleged offending story were false.

“Ms. Onoh was never terminated from any posting with the Nigerian government for misappropriation of funds.”

He further argued that Mr Onyeama did not create a seven-person committee to investigate Ms. Onoh, nor did Mr Aduda head up any such committee.

“In fact, such a committee was never impaneled to investigate Ms. Onoh by anyone.”

Referencing relevant U.S laws, Mr Thornton said “pursuant to 28 U.S.C. & 1332”, the court subject-matter jurisdiction over the case.

“This Court has personal jurisdiction over the defendants given that the complained of conduct occurred in the State of Texas.

“Venue is proper in this District and Division pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b)(2) as a substantial part of the events giving rise to the claim occurred in this District and Division.”

Ms Onoh who served as Nigeria’s ambassador to Namibia, and the Head of Mission in Jamaica, stated further in the document that Sowore and Sahara Reporters knew Messrs Aduda and Onyeama’s “statements were false at the time they made them to these third parties.”

The lawyer informed the court that Sahara Reporters publication brought immense suffering to Ms Onoh whom he argued “suffered severe reputational damage, mental anguish, and economic injuries.”

“By publishing the Article on its website on April 21, 2023, Defendant Sahara Reporters and Defendant Sowore published false statements about Ms. Onoh to literally the entire world.”

Mr Thornton further said Messrs Onyeama and Aduda intentionally or recklessly made the statements against Ms Onoh.

“As a result of Defendant Onyeama and Aduda’s conduct, Ms. Onoh suffered severe emotional and reputational damages.”

He said the media outlet knew about the falsity of the offending statements but went ahead to publish the same.

In the claimant’s prayers before the judge, Mr Thornton demanded costs of litigation, “all such other and further relief at law and in equity to which Ms. Onoh may show herself to be justly entitled.”