ODOFIN
V.
NDIRIBE

AGBO JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): The appellant as plaintiff sued the respondents and one Mrs. Doris Akpo in the High Court of Lagos State claiming N10,000,000.00 (ten million naira) and an injunctive order for libel . The respondents were alleged to have published in the Vanguard Newspapers of 5 and 30 June 2002 of and concerning the appellant the following statement: “Mrs. Akpo stated that she had abandoned her husband’s house since the dastardly act was committed for fear of being attached by the same persons who killed her late husband, adding that one of her husband’s colleagues at the office who was also a neighbour to the Akpo family needs to tell the police of his whereabouts on the night the murderers struck. She believes the man (name withheld) was interested in the same position her husband was tipped to occupy since he had once acted in that capacity while the former incumbent was on leave.” The statement the appellant claimed referred to him, was false, and inj…