A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has admitted eight exhibits presented by Premiere Academy, Abuja, in its ₦500 million defamation suit against gender activist Lemmy Ughegbe.
Justice Kayode Agunloye, sitting in the court’s Kwali division, admitted the exhibits after they were tendered by the school’s counsel, Barrister Olajide Kumuyi.
Premiere Academy, located in Lugbe, Abuja, is seeking ₦500 million in damages over alleged defamation by Ughegbe. The school claims the activist falsely accused it of responsibility for the death of a 14-year-old student, Keren-Happuch, who allegedly died from complications related to rape on its premises.
In its suit, filed by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, the school is also seeking an order restraining Ughegbe from making further defamatory statements. It alleges that Ughegbe repeatedly claimed the student was raped, that a condom was left inside her, and that the resulting infection caused sepsis, hyperglycemia, and ultimately her death on June 22, 2021.
During the hearing, Barrister Kumuyi led the school’s principal, Mr. Christopher Akinsowon, in evidence and presented eight exhibits to support the claim.
Among the exhibits were:
A flash drive containing video footage of Ughegbe’s speech at the 2021 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Law Week in Abuja, where he allegedly made defamatory remarks.
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Admission registers from 2020 to 2022, purportedly showing a decline in student enrollment due to the controversy. The school claimed it had only 59 new applicants in 2022.
Online news articles from Daily Independent and The Sun dated September 2, 2021, which allegedly spread the defamatory claims.
A letter from Awomolo SAN’s law firm warning Ughegbe to desist, along with his lawyer’s reply defending his statements.
Ughegbe’s counsel strongly objected to the admission of some exhibits, arguing they were not properly filed or referenced in the witness statement. However, Justice Agunloye overruled the objections and admitted the documents.
By mutual agreement, the court scheduled March 18 to play the video footage in open court and set a date for the cross-examination of the school’s witness.
Premiere Academy insists Ughegbe defamed it while speaking at the NBA event and in other public forums. However, Ughegbe has dismissed the lawsuit as an attempt to silence him and has filed his defense, which he plans to present in court.
