Justice Adeyinka Oyinloye of an Ilorin High Court has adjourned the ongoing case to quash the N4 billion suit slammed against online portal, Sahara Reporters, over series of stories allegedly published against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
Th e court had granted the plea of the Senate President and ruled against the online paper.
It is recalled that the state high court had awarded N4billion against the online medium for accusing the Senate President of misdeeds that the court said were not substantiated.
Sequel to the ruling, Publisher of the online newspaper, Omoyele Sowore, initiated a suit to quash the judgment on the premise that he was not served before judgment was awarded against him.
Arguing his suit to quash the ruling in Saraki’s favour, counsel to Sahara Reporters, Stanley Ihmaruo, said they were not served with originating process, among other records, of proceedings before the judgment.
“We want the court to set aside the entire proceedings.
We fi led other papers restraining the other party in the proceedings.
“When the matter came up, the judgment creditors respondents could not respond to our papers for the hearing of our applications.
” Reacting to the suit, lead counsel to the Senate President, Paul Erokoro (SAN), said the process fi led by counsel to Sahara Reporters was not matured for his response, noting that the judge ruled that they were within time to fi le a response.
He also said the online media posed a danger to the nation’s democracy and administration of justice and integrity of court and thus should be checked for its constant, needless attack against people and institutions.
Justice Oyinloye, in his short ruling, said Sahara Reporters’ motion was not matured for hearing, adding that the judgment creditor was still within time to respond to same.
He adjourned the matter to September 14.
