Four medical doctors with the Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, Enugu, have been slammed with a fine of Two million, five hundred thousand naira (N2, 500, 000) for defamation of character.
The Enugu High Court presided over by Justice E. M. Egumgbe found the defendants; doctors Ubochi Vincent, Unaogu Ngozi, Justin Acho and Ugwuonye Onyekachi guilty of the charges preferred on them by a Senior Staff of the health institute; Mr. Afam Ndu and went on to order them to pay the plaintiff (Ndu) the sum mentioned above after it was established that their allegations amounted to defamation.
Recall that the four Doctors, had accused the plaintiff of rape, murder and possession of fake certificates, a development that made Ndu to approach the court in 2017 to seek for redress and damages to the tune of 20 million naira.
But, after listening to the arguments of both counsels, justice Egumgbe noted that both the plaintiff and defendants agreed that there was a petition by the defendant against the plaintiff to the federal Ministry of Health, where they are working.
The judge ruled that the allegations were malicious and made in bad faith and were therefore defamatory in nature.
She equally held that the interim report from the panel set up by the ministry of health to investigate the plaintiff has at today exonerated the plaintiff, adding that there is no evidence that Mr. Ndu has been convicted of rape and murder in any court.
Justice Egumgbe, therefore, declared that the allegations of rape, murder, possession of fake certificates by the defendants amounted to defamation.
The court ordered the defendants to retract the defamatory publication and publish same in a National Newspaper within 30 days with effect from the day of the judgment on the case.
It further restrained the defendants or their agents from further publication of the defamatory allegations against the plaintiff.
Reacting to the judgment, Ndu said he felt so relieved in the sense that people that should be held in high esteem made the allegations, adding that at last, Daniel has come to judgment.
In his own reaction, lawyer to Mr. Ndu Barrister I.O Adani applauded the judgment, saying it went in his Client’s favour because the defendants could not substantiate all their allegations against his client.
