2nd March, 2012
An Ikeja High Court this morning ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to pay the N25 million damages awarded to popular comic actor, Mr. Babatunde Omidina, a.k.a. Baba Suwe.
Justice Yetunde Idowu ordered that the N25 million should be paid into an interest yielding account within 21 days.
The court gave the order while ruling on an application filed by the NDLEA seeking for the suspension of the payment pending the determination of its appeal case at the Court of Appeal.
NDLEA argued in the application that besides not having N25 million to pay Baba Suwe, the beneficiary may not be able to refund the money if NDLEA succeeds in its appeal.
But delivering her ruling this morning, Justice Idowu ordered NDLEA to pay the N25 million to the Chief Registrar of the High Court who will in turn deposit it into an interest yielding account.
The court, however, granted NDLEA’s application not to make any apology to Baba Suwe in any national newspaper pending the case before the Court of Appeal.
—Henry Ojelu