Illorin High Court freezes Sahara Reporters bank accounts

Illorin High Court freezes Sahara Reporters bank accounts

- The court case instituted by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, against Omoyele Sowore is still on

- Sowore is the publisher of online newspaper, Sahara Reporters

- The court has freezed the bank accounts of the online medium

An Ilorin High Court, presided over by Justice Adeyinka Oyinloye, has reportedly freezed the bank accounts of online newspaper, Sahara Reporters.

Documents seen by Legit.ng showed the court gave the order on Tuesday, July 25.

Illorin High Court freezes Sahara Reporters bank accounts
The court documents seen by Legit.ng

The Senate President had, through his lawyer, Babatunde Olomu, asked for the intervention of the court following over a series of libelous stories published against Saraki on Sahara Reporters in between September and December 2015.

Both Sowore and Sahara Reporters were joined as defendants in the suit marked as KWS/23/2017.

Illorin High Court freezes Sahara Reporters bank accounts
More details from the court papers seen by Legit.ng

Legit.ng gathered that the court's decision has sent the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore into panic mode.

The publisher have reportedly not been able to access their bank accounts since the court's decision.

Illorin High Court freezes Sahara Reporters bank accounts
More details of the court order seen by Legit.ng

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On Wednesday, June 28, the court had ruled that Sowore pay a sum of N4 billion as damage to Saraki for the alleged libelous publications.

The Senate President had also vowed that he will not spare any legal efforts and expenses, both in Nigeria and abroad, necessary to recover every kobo of the cost awarded in his favour from Sowore.

“The money will also be used to support genuine publications whose owners are struggling to pay salaries of workers or meet their ever rising running cost. Part of the money will also be channelled to help lawyers who have been providing pro bono services to litigants, particularly, on cases bothering on enforcement of fundamental human rights,” a statement by the Senate President said.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Jerrywright Ukwu avatar

Jerrywright Ukwu Jerrywright Ukwu is an Abuja-based senior political/defence correspondent. He is a graduate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos and the International Institute of Journalism in Abuja. He is also a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. He spends his leisure-time reading history books. He can be reached via email at jerrywright39@yahoo.com.