Halima Abubakar, a Nollywood actress, has been hit with an N10 million punishment for making defamatory remarks about Apostle Johnson Suleman, the senior pastor and general overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries International.
The actress from Deadly Plot was ordered by a Federal Capital Territory High Court on Monday to give the clergyman the money as compensation.
Apostle Suleman accused the actress of making disparaging remarks about him on her Instagram page, which were then picked up by multiple blogs and media, according to a certified authentic copy of the ruling.
Justice Enobie Obanor stated in his ruling that Abubakar had the opportunity to defend herself in the case but chose not to.
In his judgement, Justice Enobie Obanor noted that Abubakar was allowed to defend herself in the matter but failed to do so.
The judgement partly reads: “The statements published by the defendant against the claimant on her Instagram handle, @halimabubakar, falsely and maliciously written and published to the general public, are defamatory of the person of the claimant.
“The sum of N10,000,000 only to the claimant as aggravated and exemplary damages for libel contained in the publication of the defendant against the claimant on her Instagram handle, @Halimabubakar and caused to be published in several blogs.”
The court also prohibited Abubakar from writing about Apostle Suleman in any other publications.
