News

Ogun Court Fines Monarch ₦500 Million for Defaming Sulaiman Adegunwa

Published

3 days ago

11/04/2025

An Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta has ruled in favor of prominent industrialist and philanthropist, Dr. Sulaiman Adegunwa, awarding ₦500 million in damages against Oba Adetoye Alatishe, the Gbengande of Ososa, over defamatory claims made against him.

Presiding over the case, Justice E.O. Osinuga declared that a petition written by the traditional ruler—along with its subsequent publication in City People Magazine (January 15, 2019) and Obanta Newsday (August 7, 2019)—contained libelous content that severely tarnished Dr. Adegunwa’s reputation.

The court not only imposed the ₦500 million fine but also ordered the monarch to pay an additional ₦500,000 in legal fees.

A perpetual injunction was granted, restraining Oba Alatishe from making or publishing further defamatory remarks about Dr. Adegunwa, who holds the national honor of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and the revered title of Asiwaju of Ijebuland.

The defamation lawsuit—registered as case number 4CJ/205/19—was initiated by Dr. Adegunwa on November 25, 2019. The legal action followed a letter dated January 7, 2019, addressed to former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

In the letter, Oba Alatishe accused Dr. Adegunwa of planning to demolish the recently rebuilt Gbengande Market to construct a palace, while allegedly intending to repurpose the current palace into a town hall.

These allegations, which the monarch also forwarded to several senior government officials including the Commissioners for Local Government and Urban Planning, as well as the State Police Commissioner, suggested that Dr. Adegunwa’s actions could incite unrest within the Ososa community.

Justice Osinuga, in the judgment delivered on Friday, April 11, 2025, strongly condemned the monarch’s behavior, describing the petition as malicious and devoid of factual backing. The judge emphasized that the unfounded claims had inflicted lasting damage on the claimant’s reputation.

Despite efforts to resolve the matter amicably, including intervention through legal representatives, Oba Alatishe declined to retract the statements or offer a public apology. This refusal pushed Dr. Adegunwa to seek justice through the courts.

During cross-examination, Oba Alatishe admitted that the allegations he made were based entirely on hearsay. He failed to identify any individuals as the source of his information.

Justice Osinuga remarked, “When Kabiyesi was asked how he came about the information, he said some people told him—yet he was unwilling to name them.”

The court concluded that the monarch’s conduct was “reckless and unjustifiable,” and ruled that spreading such serious accusations without credible evidence amounted to deliberate defamation.

As part of the judgment, Oba Alatishe has been instructed to issue a public apology and retraction, to be published in three major national newspapers: Punch, ThisDay, and The Nation. This move is intended to publicly correct the misinformation and restore Dr. Adegunwa’s reputation.