Defamation: Court directs substituted service on Wike in Tonye Cole’s ₦40bn suit

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Gwarinpa, Abuja, has ordered that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, be served court processes in the ₦40 billion defamation suit instituted against him by former Rivers State governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, through substituted means.

Justice M.A. Hassan issued the order on Tuesday while ruling on an ex parte application filed by Cole’s counsel, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), who told the court that efforts to serve Wike personally had proved unsuccessful. He therefore prayed the court to allow substituted service.

Granting the application, Justice Hassan directed that the writ of summons, statement of claim, witness statements, hearing notice and accompanying documents be pasted at the main gate of the Federal Capital Territory Administration headquarters in Garki, Abuja.

The court fixed March 24 and 25, 2026, for the substantive hearing of the matter.

Filed as Suit No. CV/4502/25, the case has Wike and Channels Incorporated Limited, owners of Channels Television, as co-defendants.

The action followed what Cole described as the defendants’ failure to comply with a pre-action notice and a formal demand letter issued on October 8, 2025.

Cole is seeking ₦40 billion in damages over comments made by Wike during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on September 18.

According to the claimant, the statements were false, malicious, and damaging to his personal and professional reputation.

In his statement of claim, Cole said Wike falsely alleged that he, alongside former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, “crippled the resources” of Rivers State and seized public assets, including the historic Olympia Hotel.

He further contends that Channels Television republished the allegations without proper due diligence.

Cole argued that the allegations run contrary to his global profile as a businessman, public figure and philanthropist.

He is therefore asking the court to declare Wike’s claims defamatory, order their full withdrawal, and compel the defendants to issue a retraction with the same prominence as the original broadcast.

He is also seeking a directive compelling Channels Television to remove every clip, rebroadcast or digital trace of the interview from all platforms.

The claimant further wants an order compelling the defendants to tender an unreserved apology through a live broadcast on Politics Today and in at least five widely circulated national newspapers.

Additionally, he is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining Wike, Channels Television, and their agents from making or disseminating any further defamatory statements against him, alongside ₦500 million as litigation costs.

The suit is expected to be one of the most closely watched defamation trials in the country in 2026.

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