Journalist withdraws N50m suit against ex-Senate President Nnamani, tenders apology

A journalist, Cyriacus Njoku, has withdrawn a suit in which he asked a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court to order a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, to pay him the sum of N50 million as reward for authoring a book on his tenure in office.

In the suit numbered CV/2269/2023, Njoku, through his lawyer, Julius Mbilitem, had alleged that the former Senate President did not reward him for his efforts in writing the book titled, ‘The Peoples Lawmaker’, despite an agreement to that effect.

However, in a motion on notice dated 19th June 2024, Njoku sought leave of the court to discontinue the suit.

In an affidavit in support of the motion on notice, dated 24th June 2024, Njoku informed the court that after a sitting on 22nd April 2024, he approached Nnamani’s counsel, Sunny Anyanwu Esq, and informed him that he wishes to withdraw the suit.

“I have now realized that I never had any agreement either written or oral with the defendant (Nnamani) bothering on his tenure as the former Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria. The action in Suit No. CV/2269/2023 I instituted against the defendant is highly misconceived on my part.

“That I hereby tender an unreserved apology to the defendant, Senator Ken Nnamani, former Senate President of Nigeria for the embarrassing law suit.

“That I most humbly urge the Honourable Court to dismiss Suit No. CV/2269/2023 I instituted against the defendant and I undertake never to re-instute or appeal this suit either now or in future against the defendant,” Njoku said in the affidavit.

He equally urged the court to enter the motion as a consent judgement in Suit No. CV/2269/2023, adding that the motion was made in good faith, for record purposes and in accordance with the Oaths Act, 2004.

The motion was adopted on July 16, 2024, leading to the striking out of the suit.

Speaking on the matter, Nnamani’s counsel, Anyanwu said the suit has come to an end, adding that the plaintiff, Njoku, erred by going to court without any documented agreement.

He said, “The suit which the plaintiff, Mr Njoku filed sometime in 2023 has come to an end with a motion he filed to withdraw the matter. In that same motion, through the affidavit attached, he issued an unreserved apology to the defendant for filing the suit. He equally made an undertaking not to appeal it or reinstute such a suit. Most importantly, he stated in the affidavit that he realized he never had any agreement either written or oral with the defendant to write any book, in other words, there was no agreement between him and Senator Ken Nnamani to write any book.

“So demanding for N50 million was misplaced priority. He ought not to have gone to court to demand N50 million because there was no agreement. There is no way the court would have given him any money because there was no agreement.

“Ordinarily Senator Ken Nnamani would have sued him but decided against that because he sees himself as a father.”

Speaking further, he advised that people should not go to court unless they are sure of their facts.

According to Anyanwu, the ex-Senate President could have sued Njoku for libel.

“You don’t just rush to court. There must be something tangible because the court relies on documents parties entered into in dishing out any judgement. I advise that people should always cross check themselves before filing any suit.

“Remember, Senator Ken Nnamani could have decided to file a suit against Njoku for libel but he said he will not because he sees himself as a father of the nation. So I advise people to cross check before approaching the court.”