Nigeria: Actress, Halima, to pay N10 Million in damages for defamation against Johnson Suleman
By Charity Nginyu
In a recent ruling by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, Nollywood actress Halima Abubakar has been ordered to pay N10 million in damages for defaming Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries International.
The legal saga began when Apostle Suleman filed a N1 billion lawsuit against Abubakar in January 2023, citing defamation. The case, marked FCT/HC/CV/3413/2022, commenced on March 25, 2023, under the jurisdiction of Justice Enobie Obanor of the Abuja High Court.
Despite numerous opportunities provided to present her defense, Abubakar failed to do so, leading to the court ruling in favor of Apostle Suleman.
The genesis of the case traces back to a series of allegations made by the actress in 2022. Over several months, Abubakar accused Apostle Johnson Suleman of a promise to marry her and alleged that he had inflicted a life-threatening ailment upon her.
The court’s judgment included a fine of N10 million against Abubakar for aggravated and exemplary damages for libel. Libel, defined as the making of false and malicious statements about a person in print or writing, formed the basis of the ruling.
Furthermore, Abubakar was ordered to retract her defamatory statements on her Instagram handle and to remove all related content from various internet platforms.
