The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Marlin Sylva has won a lawsuit against the Publisher of Point Blank News, Mr Jackson Ude in a United States District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania.

It was gathered that Jackson Ude had in a publication alleged that the minister was involved in financial misappropriation.

Among other publications allegedly aimed at damaging the reputation of the Minister, Ude had accused Timipre of paying the sum of ten thousand United States Dollars bribe to each member of the National Assembly in a bid to influence the lawmakers to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

The former governor of Bayelsa State subsequently filed a defamation suit against the journalist.

According to The Sun, Justice Joseph F. Leeson. Jr. who presided over the case, ordered Ude to take down all publications made against the minister via the Pointblank News website.

Part of the judgement reads, “Mr Ude will reasonably and in good faith take down, delete, and destroy all articles and publications that allege any criminal or other misconduct by Sylva appearing on the Point Blank News website and from Ude’s social media accounts, especially those publications in issue in this case.”