IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - NIGERIA

6 April 2004

Newspaper and editors face libel suit

SOURCE: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek

**MISA and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), as a joint activity,
will henceforth issue alerts, statements and appeals to highlight media
freedom and wider human rights violations in West Africa. See www.misa.org [2]
and www.mediafoundationwa.org [3] for more information**

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a joint MISA-MFWA alert:

A lawsuit for alleged libel has been filed with the Abuja High Court against
The Sun Publishing Limited of Nigeria and its senior editors. The
journalists named in the suit are Mike Awoyinfa, managing director and
editor-in-chief, Louis Odion, editor of the "Sunday Sun", Femi Adesina,
editor of "The Sun" daily and Steve Nwosu, editor of the "The Sun on
Saturday". Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, the newspaper's publisher and the governor
of Abia State, in southeastern Nigeria, was cited in the suit as the
principal defendant.

Chief Anthony Anenih, former works and housing minister and current chairman
of the board of trustees of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP),
filed the suit on 23 March 2004, claiming damages in the amount of five
billion naira (approx. US$37 million). He is also seeking the retraction of
a letter to the president and for an apology to be published in all of the
country's national dailies.

According to MFWA-Nigeria, the lawsuit followed a series of reports
published by the "Sun" about an allegation by Kalu saying that Anenih had
threatened to give him "the Bola Ige treatment," which is a euphemism for
assassination in a manner similar to that of Chief Bola Ige, the former
justice minister, who was murdered two years ago.

Governor Kalu's allegation was contained in a 22 February 2004 letter
addressed to President Olusegun Obasanjo.

According to Kalu, the letter was leaked to the media when the president
failed to respond. He said the letter was also leaked in the wake of the
recent assassination of the PDP's deputy national chairman, Chief A. K.
Dikibo, and the failed attempt on the life of the Benue State governor,
Chief George Akume.

Although the allegations have been given widespread coverage by all media
outlets in Nigeria, Anenih singled out the "Sun" in the lawsuit.

For further information, contact Zoe Titus, Program Coordinator, Media
Freedom Monitoring, MISA, Street Address: 21 Johann Albrecht Street, Mailing
Address; Private Bag 13386 Windhoek, Namibia, tel: +264 61 232 975, fax:
+264 61 248 016, e-mail: [email protected] [4], Internet: http://www.misa.org [2],
or Kwame Karikari, Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa, P.
O. Box LG 730, Legon, Ghana, tel/fax: +231 21 22 10 84, e-mail:
[email protected] [5], Internet: http://www.mediafoundationwa.org [3]

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of MISA.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit MISA.
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