Sex Scandal: Oshiomhole Drags Magazine To Court

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Monday dragged a soft sell news magazine, News of the People to a Benin High Court asking for an undisclosed amount running into millions of naira as damages alleging libel by the publication.

In the case No. B/556/2011, between Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Dockland Communications Limited, publishers of News of the People magazine, the governor alleged that the content of the publication which was published sometime last year carried on the front page and page 19 the following titles, “Oshiomhole’s Sex Power Exposed: Impregnates young girl six months after death of wife.”

He further told the court presided over by Justice (Mrs.) Efe Ikponmwonba of High Court Number 8 that in the edition, he was also alleged to have bought the girl a Jeep; that he was interfering in academics of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma on behalf of the girl, and that he used sexual performance enhancement drugs and that he has done traditional marriage to the alleged girl, adding that the edition which was widely circulated coincided with the preparations for one of his daughter’s wedding.

Asked by the lead prosecuting counsel K. O. Igiebor why he was demanding for damages, the governor who testified as PW/1, replied that the said publication caused him and his children serious psychological trauma six months after the death of his wife.

“When I called a brother governor to sponsor my daughter’s wedding, the governor said he was confused, and asked me if I was the one doing the marriage or my daughter, adding that he was reading a magazine which said that he (Oshiomhole) was about getting married to a university student, and that the said wife to be was already pregnant.”

The governor added that the publication also alleged that he had marathon sex with a female partner in Lagos who fainted under him, adding that he could not have been preparing for another wedding just 6-months after his wife’s death.

Justice Mrs. Ikpomwonba thereafter adjourned the case till 25 June, 2012 for proper hearing.

—Jethro Ibileke/Benin