An Ebonyi State High Court in Abakaliki has ordered social media critic Chisom Achor to pay ₦10 million in damages to Chinedu Ogah, a member of the House of Representatives representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency, over defamatory videos published on Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms.
Court rules on defamatory videos
Justice Frankline Edem, delivering the judgment, declared that the videos published between September and October 2025 were defamatory and injurious to Mr Ogah’s character and reputation. The court designated the videos as Exhibit P1 and ruled that the allegations contained therein were harmful.
According to a certified true copy of the judgment obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the court ordered Mr Achor to retract the publications and issue an unreserved apology on his Facebook and TikTok pages within 30 days. The ₦10 million award was a significant reduction from the ₦1 billion in general damages initially sought by the plaintiff.
In addition, the court granted a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, his agents, or privies from publishing further defamatory statements against Mr Ogah on any social media platform. The defendant was also ordered to pay ₦200,000 in legal costs.
Defendant failed to file defence
The judgment followed the defendant’s failure to file a statement of defence, despite being personally served with originating processes while in custody at a correctional centre in Enugu. Court records show that the writ of summons was served on 26 January 2026.
Although counsel Samuel Ede represented the defendant during proceedings on 31 March, the lawyer subsequently failed to file any defence or appear in court. Despite being served with a notice of hearing, neither the defendant nor his counsel attended the resumed hearing.
Consequently, Justice Edem granted the plaintiff leave to prove his case in default of defence. After hearing submissions from the plaintiff’s counsel, Samson Ekigbo, the court delivered the verdict.
