The Lagos State High Court at the Tafawa Balewa Square has ordered famous On -Air Personality , Omotoke Makinwa , to pay her estranged husband , Maje Ayida , N 1 m damages for defamation .
The court, in a judgment by Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi, said Makinwa and the publisher of her biography titled , ‘On Becoming’ , in which she defamed Ayida , should each pay N 500, 000 to Ayida .
The judge ordered Makinwa and Kachifo Limited to pay the money to “ any charity organisation of the claimant ’ s choice .”
The judge added that the defendants must within 30 days of the judgment expunge from the unsold copies of “ On Becoming” portions containing defamatory words against Ayida .
The judge identified the defamatory portions of the book to be expunged as “ Page 54 , Line 11 - 16 and Page 83 , Line 1 .”
The court judgment came three years after Ayida , through his lawyer , Kemi Pinheiro ( SAN) , dragged Makinwa and Kachifo Limited to court in suit number ID/ ADR / 820 / 2017 , demanding N 100m in damages and a perpetual injunction halting further publication of ‘On Becoming’ .
Ayida , in the suit , described Makinwa as his estranged wife , “ who is obsessed with social media and fame ,” adding that after publishing ‘On Becoming’ in November 2016 , “ purporting the book to be a biography of her life so far ,” she used her social media platforms and other circulation platforms , such as Amazon , iTunes and numerous bookshops , to propagate the contents to over three million people .
Ayida said , “ The defendants published , authorised the publication and / or caused to be published the words complained of , knowing they were false or reckless . In consequence, the claimant ’ s hard -earned reputation has been seriously damaged and the claimant has suffered considerable distress and embarrassment, including but not limited to several calls to the claimant by well -meaning Nigerians to request him to go for counselling , mental and marriage therapy sessions .
“ By the afore -said publication , the claimant ’ s reputation has been greatly injured and his public profile has been brought into hatred, ridicule and contempt .”
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