Court orders substituted service on Wike in N40bn defamation suit filed by Tonye Cole

A high court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Gwarinpa has ordered that court papers in a N40 billion defamation suit filed by former Rivers State governorship candidate Tonye Cole be served on Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike through substituted means.

Justice M.A. Hassan issued the order on Tuesday after hearing an ex parte application by Cole’s counsel, Jibrin Okutepa, who said efforts to personally serve Wike had been unsuccessful. The court directed that the writ of summons, statement of claim, witness statements, hearing notice and all related documents be pasted on the gate of the FCT Administration headquarters in Garki, Abuja.

The judge scheduled the hearing for 24 and 25 March 2026.

The suit, marked CV/4502/25, lists Wike and Channels Incorporated Limited, owners of Channels Television, as defendants. Cole initiated the action after both parties allegedly failed to respond to a pre-action notice and a letter of demand issued on 8 October.

Cole is seeking N40 billion in damages over comments made by Wike during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on 18 September, which he described as false, malicious and damaging to his personal and professional reputation. He said Wike accused him, along with former governor Rotimi Amaechi, of “crippling the resources” of Rivers State and taking over public property, including the Olympia Hotel.

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He also accused Channels Television of airing and republishing the remarks without due diligence.

Cole is asking the court to declare the statements defamatory and to order their full retraction across all platforms where they appeared. He is seeking an order for the removal of all clips and rebroadcasts, as well as a press statement acknowledging the falsity of the claims, to be given the same prominence as the original broadcast.

He further wants the defendants to issue an unreserved public apology through a live broadcast on Politics Today and in at least five widely circulated national newspapers. Cole is also requesting a perpetual injunction preventing further defamatory comments, N40 billion in general damages and N500 million in litigation costs.

Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe is a writer and journalist who covers business, finance, technology, and the changing forces shaping Nigeria’s economy. He focuses on turning complex ideas into clear, compelling stories.

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