Magazine To Pay Governor Adams Oshiomhole N25m Over A False Story They Wrote About Him

A Benin High Court has awarded Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, N25million as damages in a libel suit he instituted against the publishers of News of the People, a soft sell weekly magazine.

Governor Oshiomhole had dragged the soft sell weekly magazine to court demanding N250million as damages over their report with the headline, "Oshiomhole's sex power exposed: Impregnates young girl six months after death of wife."

The magazine had written that Governor Oshiomhole impregnated a student of the state-owned Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, bought the said girl a jeep and interfered in the academic activities of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, on behalf of the girl.

It said that Gov. Oshiomole used sexual performance enhancement drugs and that he had performed traditional marriage rites precedent to marriage between him and the said girl.

The governor told the court that he demanded damages because the said publication caused him and his children psychological trauma, six months after the death of his wife, as the libellous piece was widely circulated, to coincide with preparations for one of his daughter's wedding.

Oshiomole said: "When I called a "brother-governor" to sponsor my daughter's wedding, the governor said he was confused, and asked me if I was the one doing the marriage or my daughter. He added that he was reading a magazine which said that I was about getting married to a university student, and that the said wife-to-be was already pregnant."

In his judgment, the trial Judge, Justice Efe Ikponmwen ordered the magazine to also publish a well-worded retraction and apology in a similarly conspicous manner in an edition of the magazine.

He held that even though the public has a right to know about a public officer, such information should be in line with the law and must not be in bad light.