Defamation: Court Strikes Out Gani Adams’ N5bn Suit Against Igboho

An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan on Thursday dismissed a N5bn fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, against Yoruba nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.

Justice O.T. Ademola-Salami, dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.

Adams had, in the suit marked M/1006/2024, accused the respondent of secretly recording a telephone conversation between him and another person without his consent, and of using the content of the recording to defame him.

He claimed the action violated his constitutional right to privacy and sought N5bn in damages.

The plaintiff (Adams) through his counsel, Sikiru Akinrele, urged the court to declare the act of secretly recording and publishing his private telephone conversation without his consent as “unlawful, illegal, and unconstitutional” and a breach of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

At the resumed hearing of the matter on April 30, 2025, counsel to the respondent, Junaid Sanusi, urged the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that the application was fundamentally defective.

He contended that the affidavit in support of the suit was not deposed to by Adams himself or by someone who disclosed being duly informed by him.

Sanusi told the court that he had filed a counter-affidavit and a written address opposing the application, both of which were adopted during proceedings.

Delivering judgment, Justice Ademola-Salami upheld the argument of the respondent’s counsel and dismissed the suit in its entirety.

The court held that the affidavit filed by the applicant was defective, having not been deposed to him personally or by a person shown to have been properly briefed.

The judge further ruled that even if the affidavit had been competent, Adams failed to establish with credible evidence that his telephone line was tapped by the respondent.

The court subsequently awarded the sum of N500,000 as cost against Adams, who was absent in court and not represented by his counsel during the proceedings.