By David Mzer
A Makurdi High Court has fixed February 22,2023,to hear the defamation suit against a renegade priest, Hyacinth Alia and a sacked lecturer of the Benue State University, BSU, Aondona Mkor.
The plaintiff, Queen Torkwase Alaaga, dragged Alia and Mkor to court over a Facebook comment by Mkor on September 10th,2022.
When the matter came up on Thursday, Alia and Mkor were absent in court, they also had no legal representation.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Emmanuel Agbakor, informed the court that pursuant to the order of the court on November 1st 2022,for substituted service, Mkor and Alia were served by the bailiff of the court on November 8th, 2022, in accordance with the said order.
He asked the court for an adjournment for hearing of the suit.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Augustine Ityonyiman adjourned the matter to February 22,2023 for hearing, and ordered that hearing notice be served on Alia and Mkor.
In the statement of claim, Queen Torkwase Alaaga alleged that on September 10th, 2022, she commented on a post made by the Special Adviser to the Governor of Benue State on Media, Terver Akase , regarding the 2023 general elections.
She alleged that the former lecturer in a comment in reply to her comment published a fake, unsubstantiated and malicious statement against her wherein Mkor stated that Alia once informed him(Mkor) that he(Alia) once healed Queen Torkwase Alaaga of a highly complicated staphylococcus and gonorrhea that ravaged he female reproductive organs when no known orthodox medication could cure her.
“Queen Torkwase Alaaga, but the
” suspended ” priest once prayed for you and confessed personally to me a long time ago that you were healed of an intractable and highly complicated staphylococcus gonorrhea infection that ravaged your ” vianen ” when no known orthodox and unorthodox medication could cure it for you.
“Please be fair to god and the servant of God, Very Rev. Hyacinth Alia.”
Torkwase Alaaga avers that the use of the word “vianen” which can be directly translated to English language as “the thing”, the defendants in their publication were referring to her female sex reproductive organ.
She alleged that by the publication of Mkor, the defendants falsely, deliberately, intentionally and maliciously imputed the existence of a venereal disease in her.
She also averred that the outright falsehood has not only discredited her but also exposed her to hatred, contempt or ridicule to the public in general.
In the suit, Torkwase Alaaga is seeking a declaration that publication of the defendants on September 10th, 2022 is false and defamatory, and an order directing Mkor to pull down the defamatory post/comment against her posted on Facebook by Mkor and other Facebook users.
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She is seeking an order of court directing the Mkor and Alia to retract all the defamatory publications against her and tender a public apology to her to be published in not less that two national dailies, five local newspapers as well as on Facebook and an order of perpetual injunction restraining Mkor and Alia, their privies, agents, servants and surrogates or whosoever from further defaming her character and reputation.
Queen Torkwase Alaaga is also seeking an order of court awarding the sum of N100 million against Mkor and Alia as general damages for defaming her character and reputation,amongst other reliefs.
