In a surprising flip of occasions, Nollywood actress Halima Abubakar has been ordered to pay a hefty tremendous of N10 million for making defamatory statements about Apostle Johnson Suleman, the Senior Pastor and Basic Overseer of Omega Fireplace Ministries Worldwide.
The ruling was handed down by a Federal Capital Territory Excessive Courtroom, which discovered Abubakar responsible of publishing derogatory feedback about Apostle Suleman on her Instagram web page. These feedback had been then picked up by varied blogs and newspapers, spreading the false and malicious info to the general public.
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Justice Enobie Obanor, who presided over the case, highlighted that Abubakar had the chance to defend herself in courtroom however failed to take action. In consequence, the courtroom dominated in favor of Apostle Suleman and ordered Abubakar to pay N10 million as damages for the libelous statements she made.
The judgement acknowledged, “The statements revealed by the defendant towards the claimant on her Instagram deal with, @halimabubakar, falsely and maliciously written and revealed to most of the people, are defamatory of the individual of the claimant. The sum of N10,000,000 solely to the claimant as aggravated and exemplary damages for libel contained within the publication of the defendant towards the claimant on her Instagram deal with, @Halimabubakar and brought on to be revealed in a number of blogs.”
Along with the monetary penalty, the courtroom additionally issued a restraining order towards Abubakar, prohibiting her from making any additional defamatory publications about Apostle Suleman.
This authorized battle between the actress and the cleric has captured the eye of many, shedding mild on the results of spreading false info and the significance of upholding one’s popularity.
The Nollywood star has but to touch upon the courtroom’s ruling, but it surely serves as a cautionary story for individuals who have interaction in on-line defamation with out contemplating the authorized repercussions.
Because the leisure business continues to grapple with problems with defamation and libel, this case serves as a reminder that phrases have energy and may have critical penalties when used irresponsibly.
In a world the place social media performs a major position in shaping public opinion, it’s essential for people to train warning and integrity when sharing info on-line.
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The judgement towards Halima Abubakar serves as a warning to all public figures and social media customers to be aware of the affect their phrases can have and to all the time prioritize reality and accuracy of their communications.
As this authorized saga involves a detailed, it’s clear that the repercussions of defamation will be extreme, each financially and reputationally. It’s a lesson that Halima Abubakar has realized the laborious method, and one which others would do properly to heed.