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(1973) JELR 44437 (SC)

Supreme Court · SC.143/1970 · 11 May 1973 · Nigeria
·

Other Citations

(1973) ANLR 479 (1973) 5 S.C. 180

CORAM

TASLIM OLAWALE ELIAS Justice of The Supreme Court of Nigeria UDO UDOMA Justice of The Supreme Court of Nigeria DAN IBEKWE Justice of The Supreme Court of Nigeria

Ratio Decidendi

Core Terms ^Beta

saville tribunal report

government of lagos state

federal military government

fair comment

judgment of the learned trial judge

city treasurer of the lagos city council

judgment of the high court of lagos state

claim of the plaintiff

appointment of mr. fashinro

findings of a commission of inquiry

issues of the daily newspaper

said plaintiff

reports of commissions of inquiry

mr. coker

morning post

federal government

nigerian tribune

main defence

act of corruption

learned trial judge

fair comments

mr. fashinro

press conference

course of the hearing evidence

governor of lagos state

exhibit e

town clerk of the lagos city council

statement of claim

plaintiff

lagos state military governor

reason of the said publications

reports of the enquiries

report of the tribunal of inquiry

comments of the federal military government

lagos state government

government papers

saville commission of inquiry

report of the saville tribunal of inquiry

public posts

administrative officer

subject matter of the action

defamatory words

case of mr. fashinro

colonel mobolaji johnson

publishers of the daily newspaper

5th february

said report of the saville tribunal of inquiry

exhibits

U. UDOMA, JSC (Delivering the Leading Judgment): This is an appeal by the defendants in a libel suit wherein judgment was entered for the plaintiff therein. The appeal is against the judgment of the High Court of Lagos State in suit No. LD/90/69 in which the claim of the plaintiff against the defendants was for a total sum of 25,000 pounds damages for defamatory words falsely and maliciously published by the defendants of and concerning the plaintiff (and also of the plaintiff in the way of his profession and office) in the issues of the daily newspaper known as Nigerian Tribune on the dates and under the captions hereunder appearing as specified in the particulars endorsed on the writ of summons.

Pleadings, having been ordered, were duly filed and delivered.

In his statement of claim, the plaintiff averred that he is and was at all material times the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance in the Government of Lagos State, having formerly held office as City Treasurer of the Lagos C…

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