Chief Ariyo, drags Fresh Angle Nigeria Limited to court over publication of advertorial, demands N600m

A Warri-based Legal Practitioner, Chief Robinson Ariyo, has dragged Fresh Angle Nigeria Limited (Publisher of Fresh Angle International Newspaper) the company’s Managing Editor, Asare Michael Segun and the Editor-In-Chief, Metsese Anthony Ebule, to the High Court of Delta State, Nigeria, in the Warri Judicial Division (Holden at Warri) over the publication of an advertorial on www.freshangleng.com, demanding the payment of Six Hundred Million Naira (N600,000,000.00) as damages, for perceived libelous content against him.

Authors of the advertorial, Messrs Awani Oyibo and David Iwere, are also defendants in the suit instituted by Chief Robinson Ariyo.

In the suit no: W/217/2023, Chief Ariyo, averred that aggrieved by the said publication, he “caused a written demand for apology to be made and served on the each of the Defendants, with a view to getting them to redress the situation but instead, they initially brought the publication down only to later upload it hence daring the Claimant (Chief Ariyo).”

He is also praying the court to grant the following orders: “For the Defendants to pull down the said publication forthwith, from its page on the internet and any other media through which they may have publicized same.

“For the Defendant to retract the said publication by no fewer than 2 each of the agencies of Radios, Televisions and Newspapers respectively of national coverage.

“7. AN ORDER OF INJUNCTION restraining the Defendants whether by themselves, their agents or servants or as may otherwise be described from further speaking and/or publishing the said or similar words defamatory of the Claimant in connection with the facts giving rise to this case.

“8. Cost in favour of the Claimant against the Defendants for Legal services for instituting this suit assessed at N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira)”.

Asare Michael Segun and Metsese Anthony Ebule, had on July 17, 2023, for themselves and on behalf of Fresh Angle Nigeria Limited, published a public notice on www.freshangleng.com.

The public notice, which is still running on the website, referencing; "Communique on happenings in Okere Community: Out - Shoot of Ologbotsere of Warri Chieftaincy Title Saga As It Affects Okere Community - A Rejoinder", explained the position of Fresh Angle Nigeria Limited.

The Public Notice, stated in-parts: “Our attention has been drawn to an advertorial titled :" Communique on happenings in Okere Community: Out - Shoot of Ologbotsere of Warri Chieftaincy Title Saga As It Affects Okere Community - A Rejoinder", which was published on our website: www.freshangleng.com on Friday July 14, 2023 and pulled down in less than 30 minutes, following request by authors of the advertorial;  Messrs David Iwere and Oyibo Awani.

“They (Messrs David Iwere and Oyibo Awani) requested the pull - down of the rejoinder cum advertorial, on the grounds that it was still under review at the time and they were yet to append their signatures to it. The piece was inadvertently sent to our organization by the authors, before their final validation.

“It must be noted with all sense of responsibility that the said advertorial, was pulled down few minutes after upload. This was done more than 24 hours, before Chief Robinson Ariyo, wrote, demanding for a pull-down of the advertorial, which he alleged, contained defamatory statements against him.”         

It was unclear as at the time of this report, if Chief Robinson Ariyo, had dragged The Nation Newspaper to court as well.

The Nation Newspaper, had on Friday July 21, 2023, published the advertorial, duly signed by Messrs David Iwere and Oyibo Awani, on page 8 of its hard copy, same day the signed advertorial was published on www.freshangleng.com.

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