Gov. Otti demands N100b damages over ‘defamatory’ Facebook posts

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has demanded a written retraction, public apology, and the sum of ₦100 billion as compensation from Hon. Barr. Eze Chikamnayo, also known as Iyierioba Chikamnayo, over what he described as a series of defamatory publications on Facebook.

In a letter dated October 2, 2025, and signed by his counsel, Dr. Sonny Ajala (SAN) of Deeplaw Associates, Governor Otti said the publications were “defamatory and malicious.”

The governor accused Chikamnayo of consistently making “unjustified and malicious online defamatory statements” against him on his Facebook account titled Iyierioba Chikamnayo.

Among the cited posts are:

“Alex Otthief is a confirmed criminal and disaster!” (September 22, 2025)

“Fighting Promax!!!!” (September 21, 2025)

“Old or new Abia?” (September 14, 2025)

“Sabbath Message” (September 13, 2025)

“Alex Otthief is a confirmed criminal and congenital liar = looting governor!” (August 15, 2025).

Ajala stressed that the governor’s identity was unmistakable, noting:

“Our client is the only Governor and Chief Executive of a State within the 36 States of Nigeria who bears the name Alex Chioma Otti. Thus, no effort is required by members of the public to link your spiteful, false, and defamatory attacks to him, whether by direct name-calling or through caricature, pun, simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, or metonymy.”

The senior advocate defended Otti’s reputation, describing him as a man of “unimpeachable integrity,” highlighting his distinguished career in the banking sector where he rose to become Managing Director/Chief Executive of Diamond Bank Plc before transitioning into politics.

The letter also noted that Otti became aware of the publications on September 29, 2025, while in Abuja for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on the state’s Attorney-General. At that time, his attention was drawn to what was described as “a cocktail of disparaging publications calculated to instigate public hatred against him.”

Ajala stated that the governor “unequivocally denies in their entirety the malicious defamatory materials published online,” insisting that Otti “has no criminal indictment or conviction by any court of law,” and therefore the posts amounted to “blatant falsehood.”

The counsel further argued that the publications inflicted “unquantifiable mental torture, depression, denigration, and a brutal destruction of his reputation built over decades,” leaving Otti “utterly disfigured and diminished in the eyes of right-thinking members of society.”

Governor Otti’s demands include:

A written retraction of all defamatory posts to be published both on the same Facebook wall and in four national newspapers.

A written apology published on the same platforms.

Payment of ₦100 billion as compensation for reputational damage.

An undertaking to desist from any further defamatory publications.

Ajala concluded the letter with a stern warning:

“Take very careful notice that should you fail, refuse, and/or ignore to comply with our demands within seven (7) days of receiving this letter, we shall, without further recourse to you, seek legal redress and pursue appropriate remedies for your malicious online libel against our client.”