LAGOS HIGH COURT CONVICTS FORMER OHAFIA DEPUTY TRANSITION CHAIRMAN, IKECHUKWU IROHA FOR DEFAMATION, AWARDS ₦20 MILLION DAMAGES TO KENNETH C. AHIA, SAN

…as Justice Ipaye Orders Public Apology, Retraction, and Online Takedown of False Publications

The High Court of Lagos State has delivered a landmark judgment in a defamation case involving a prominent legal luminary, Mr. Kenneth C. Ahia, SAN, and Mr. Ikechukwu Iroha, a former Deputy Transition Committee Chairman of Ohafia Local Government Area in Abia State.

In the judgment delivered on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, by Hon. Justice O. A. Ipaye, the Court found Mr. Iroha guilty of making and circulating false and malicious statements against Mr. Ahia, which gravely tarnished his reputation and professional image.

The suit, filed by Mr. Ahia, SAN, centered on a series of defamatory publications made by Mr. Iroha on social media platforms and online news outlets, particularly Facebook and Sahara Reporters. The Court examined the matter in detail, focusing on three critical issues for determination, all of which were resolved in favour of the Claimant.

Justice Ipaye identified two specific offending publications:

1. A Facebook post dated 10th July 2023, titled “Payment of Legal Fees Through Contract Award”, and

2. Another post on 15th July 2023, later published by Sahara Reporters, titled “Why Are They Panicking?”

The Court ruled that both publications were false, defamatory, malicious, and calculated to injure the professional reputation of Mr. Ahia, a respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

According to the judgment, the statements “lowered the esteem of the Claimant in the estimation of right-thinking members of society, both within and beyond Nigeria.”

Following this finding, Justice Ipaye granted substantial reliefs in favour of Mr. Ahia, including:

1. A declaration that the impugned publications were false, libelous, and injurious to the Claimant’s reputation.

2. An award of ₦20,000,000 (Twenty Million Naira) as general damages against the Defendant.

3. An award of ₦500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) as cost of action.

4. An order compelling Mr. Iroha to:

i. Publish a full retraction of the defamatory statements.

ii. Publish an unreserved written apology to Mr. Ahia on Sahara Reporters and in at least one national daily (from The Guardian, Vanguard, Punch, ThisDay, Daily Trust, or The Sun) within seven days of the judgment.

iii. Remove all defamatory materials from every online and social media platform where they appeared.

iv. Abstain from making or publishing any similar defamatory content in the future.

Legal observers have described the judgment as a significant reaffirmation of the judiciary’s commitment to upholding the sanctity of personal and professional reputation in the digital age.

The case also highlights growing judicial attention to the misuse of social media for character assassination, serving as a strong warning to individuals who weaponize online platforms for defamation.

With this judgment, Mr. Kenneth C. Ahia, SAN, emerges vindicated, his integrity reaffirmed, and his professional reputation legally restored.