NOLLYWOOD actress, Halima Abubakar, has been fined N10 million for publishing libelous statements about the Senior Pastor and General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleman.
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, on Monday, April 8, ordered the Deadly Plot actress to pay the amount to the cleric as damages.
According to a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, Suleman had accused Abubakar of publishing derogatory comments against him on her Instagram page, which were in turn published by several blogs, online platforms and newspapers.
In his judgment, Justice Enobie Obanor stated that Abubakar was given the opportunity to defend herself in the matter, but failed to do so.
Justice Obanor ruled: “The statements published by the defendant against the claimant on her Instagram handle, @halimabubakar, falsely and maliciously written and published to the general public, are defamatory of the person of the claimant.
“The sum of N10,000,000 only to the claimant as aggravated and exemplary damages for libel contained in the publication of the defendant against the claimant on her Instagram handle, @halimabubakar, and caused to be published in several blogs.”
The court also barred Abubakar from any further publication on Suleman.
