A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday barred further broadcast of defamatory documentaries on the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, by the African Independent Television. Justice James Tsoho, who made the order of interim injunction, also ordered the Nigerian Television Authority and any other broadcast station under the control of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, to stop airing similar videos forthwith. The judge made the order in positive answer to the ex parte application brought before him by Osinbajo through his lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), to the effect. The professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria had complained to the court that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, having adjudged him a threat, sponsored the documentaries to cause him disaffection in the eye of the public. AIT and NTA had, for weeks running, aired a documentary detailing the “atrocious” past of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). AIT also had a similar documentary on a national leader of the APC, Asiwaju
Bola Tinubu, chronicling his series of alleged financial misconduct. Osinbajo maintained that the said documentaries, which allegedly contained untrue information and injurious falsehoods, constitute a personal attack on his person. He argued that the videos were being aired in violation of his fundamental human right to dignity of human person, right to privacy and family virtue and right to life and/or livelihood, as protected by sections 33, 34 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution. He had therefore prayed Tsoho for an order of interim injunction, restraining AIT, NTA and any other broadcast stations under the control of Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria from further disseminating or broadcasting the damaging videos. He said, “Unless the respondents are restrained in the manner requested in this application, damages will be grossly inadequate to compensate or redress the unquantifiable, unwarranted and malicious damage to the applicant’s right to dignity of human person, right to livelihood and privacy guaranteed and protected under sections 33, 34 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” After listening to submission by Falana, Tsoho ordered that NTA, AIT and any other broadcast station under the control of BON should forthwith stop the broadcast of the damaging documentaries which the applicant complained of until the determination of the substantive suit. Punch
