The High Court of Ebonyi State sitting in Abakaliki has ordered social media influencer, Chika Nwoba, to pay N5 million as general and aggravated damages for defaming a legal practitioner, Ugadu Chinendu Ngele.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday, February 19, 2026, by Justice F. A. Edem of the High Court of Ebonyi State, Abakaliki Judicial Division, in suit number HAB/75/2024.
The case was instituted by Ngele following a series of publications allegedly made by Nwoba on his Facebook page, “Nwoba Chika Nwoba,” which the plaintiff argued were defamatory and damaging to his reputation.
According to the court document, the suit was commenced through a writ of summons dated June 20, 2024. In his amended statement of claim, the plaintiff asked the court to declare that publications made by the defendant on May 15, 2024, September 18, 2024, February 18, 2025, and July 17, 2025 on his Facebook page were defamatory.
Ngele had also sought N500 million as general and aggravated damages for the alleged injury caused to his character and reputation. In addition, he asked the court to compel the defendant to retract the publications in two national daily newspapers circulating in Ebonyi State and on the defendant’s Facebook page. He further sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from making further defamatory publications against him, as well as N4 million as the cost of the suit.
After reviewing the evidence presented before it, including documents tendered and marked as exhibits, the court held that the Facebook publications made by the defendant against the plaintiff were defamatory.
Justice Edem consequently ordered the defendant to pay the sum of N5 million only as general and aggravated damages to the plaintiff for the defamatory publications.
The court also granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining Nwoba, his agents, servants or privies from making any further defamatory publications against the plaintiff on any media platform.
In addition, the court directed the defendant to retract the defamatory publications within 30 days from the date of the judgment by publishing the retraction on his Facebook page for seven consecutive days, accompanied by an apology to the plaintiff.
However, the court held that the plaintiff’s claim for N4 million as the cost of the suit was not proved and subsequently dismissed it. The court also made no order as to costs.
The judgment was issued in Abakaliki under the seal of the court on February 19, 2026.
