A high court in Abuja has refused a request by Mr Godwill Dike, who previously served as the General Manager of Nigeria LNG, to halt a defamation lawsuit against him.
The N1.6 billion lawsuit was filed by his former colleague, Mr. Patrick Olinma.
Olinma claims that Dike made damaging false statements about him and other colleagues. These alleged false claims were not limited to the internal staff of Nigeria LNG but were also made to various other individuals outside the company, including staff of TotalEnergies. Olinma asserts that these damaging statements have had a negative impact on his reputation.
Dike requested that the defamation case be paused until another case he has filed in Lagos is settled. He argued that the two cases are linked and that the resolution of the Lagos case could impact the outcome of the defamation lawsuit.
However, the judge, Justice Abubakar H. Musa, disagreed with Dike’s argument. After careful consideration, the judge ruled that the two cases were not sufficiently related to warrant a postponement. The judge found no merit in Dike’s request to delay proceedings and thus decided to dismiss it.
As a result of the judge’s decision, the defamation lawsuit against Godwill Dike will proceed as planned. The dismissal of Dike’s preliminary objection signifies a victory for Patrick Olinma and allows him to continue his pursuit of justice.
The court’s decision underscores its commitment to ensuring that legal proceedings are not unduly delayed and that justice is served in a timely manner.
