Citizen Fights Back: Drags Supreme Court Bailiff to Court for Defamation

Today my lawyers filed an action at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory against the chief bailiff of the Supreme Court, Ukor Michael Akan, for defamation, in a suit marked FCT/HC/CV/2087/2021.

On 21 August 2021, I made a Freedom of Information (FOI) application at the Supreme Court (dated 20 August) to know the status of Speaker, Ondo House of Assembly v. Martins Alo filed since 2018 (the first FOI matter at the Supreme Court seeking to make FOI applicable at the state level).

The FOI Act is clear that applications are to be replied to within 7 days, to grant, deny granting citing reasons, or to frsnt but seeking an extension of time by explaining why the information cannot be accessed within 7 days and requesting additional time. Anything further to this, and the public institution is liable.

I got no responses at all from the from thr FOI application and because I did not like the optics or sonics of the highest court in the land being dragged to court (and a lower one at that!) to answer for failing to obey the laws it exists to interpet, 2 weeks later on 7 Seprember, I wrote them letter of complaint about their noncompliance with the law, which was unfortunate.

Again, thry did not respond, and having not heard from them a week later, I sued the Supreme Court, and Chief Registrar at the Federal High Court, Abuja in a suit marked FHC/CS/ABJ/1161/2020. They were served and made aware of the suit but did not respond until 9 months and numerous adjournments, and hearing notices later.

When on 25 June 2021, they finally responded, the chief bailiff, Ukor Michael Akan, lied under oath that he did inform me that they were unable to fulfill the application within 7 days, and that I understood clearly. He further lied that I was at a point ‘loudly quarrelsome’ and made ‘boasts’, and other malicious things he said, all without the slightest shred of proof.

To be sure, this is strange and totally out of character for me, and not something I would do under any circumstance. I am still in shock.

He further besmirched my character by claiming that in that counter affidavit referring to me that: ‘merely fishing for claims he boasted to extort from the 1st and 2nd Respondents whether jointly or severally upon cheap and bogus allocations ’, etc.

I have never been this shocked, blatantly lied about, abused, and insulted in my entire life. I felt violated and for a period suffered a level of depression, angst, and trauma.

It is bad enough that the apex court in Nigeria, and its most sacred Temple of Justice does not obey the law, but it is even worse that its officers rather attack citizens with officially-sanctioned fabrications shamelessly concocted.

In this suit I pray the court to make him prove his allegations, or in the event he is unable, to compel him to depose to another affidavit stating the facts as they are and correcting his lies, also to tender an unreserved apology in 5 national dailies, pay five hundred million naira (N500,000,000) in sundry damages, etc.

A date is yet to be fixed for hearing.

Sesugh Akume
23 August 2021
Abuja