Gov Samuel Ortom of Benue state on Thursday asked a Makurdi High Court to fix a date for definite hearing in his N10 billion libel suit against former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and the APC.
It would be recalled that Oshiomhole had sought an out of court settlement with Ortom and same was communicated to the court on Oct 13, 2020.
The court presided by Justice Augustine Ityonyiman consequently adjourned the case to Oct 29, 2020 for report on the out of court settlement.
GFHNews reports that after two adjournments with the last being on Dec 16, 2020, the report on the out of court settlement was not forthcoming so the case was adjourned till Jan 28, 2021.
On resumption on Thursday to hear the report however, counsel for Ortom, Mr Samuel Irabor told the court that the out of court settlement had failed as the defendants were not serious about the said out of court settlement.
Irabor therefore, expressly asked the court to fix a date for definite hearing on the case.
On the other hand, counsel for Oshiomhole and the APC, Mr Festus Jumbo opposed the submission of Ortom’s counsel, saying that all the terms of out of court settlement had been met except one so the settlement could not be said to have failed.
After listening to the parties in the case, Ityoyiman adjourned the case to Feb 26, 2021 for report on the out of court settlement or definite hearing.
Ortom had filed a libel suit against the former APC chairman over his comments against him in an APC sponsored press conference held on July 27, 2018 wherein Oshiomhole accused him of having a hand in the death of two Catholic priests and other parishioners at Mbalom Community, Gwer East Local Government Area on the grounds that one of the priests had preached a ‘very critical sermon’ against Ortom.
