Suleman, the President of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, had sued Sowore in a suit numbered ID/ADR/374/2017, seeking N1 billion in damages against the Respondent (Sowore) for alleged defamation of character.
Apostle Johnson Suleman has applied to the Lagos State High Court requesting for a virtual hearing in the N1 billion libel suit filed against the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore.
Suleman, the President of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, had sued Sowore in a suit numbered ID/ADR/374/2017, seeking N1 billion in damages against the Respondent (Sowore) for alleged defamation of character.
It was learnt that the cleric used the motion as an escape route after the Respondent joined issues with him.
In April 2022, Justice Lawal Akapo, who is presiding over the case, dismissed a preliminary objection filed by Sowore, seeking to stop the suit filed against him by Suleman.
The Respondent through his Counsel had asked the judge to strike out the suit for lack of jurisdiction and argued that the claimant, Apostle Suleman should have sued Sahara Reporters and not Sowore.
However, Osa Director, counsel for the claimant, averred that his client, Apostle Suleman, was at liberty to sue either Sowore or Sahara Reporters, or both parties jointly.
In a Motion on Notice brought pursuant to Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the cleric sought an order from the court granting him leave to give his evidence, during the trial of the suit, by virtual "telecommunication/
Among other reliefs he sought are: "An order granting the Claimant/ Applicant leave to provide and set up the devices and accessories for the successful deployment of such teleconferencing technology towards the hearing of this suit in court and the conferences herein.
"AN ORDER directing the officers in the Information Technology /Technical Department of the High Court of Lagos State (or equivalent thereof) to support the Claimant/Applicant in setting up and deploying the virtual telecommunication/
"AND for such further or other orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case."
Regarding his grounds for the application, the Claimant stated the case was ripe for hearing and that he had been called upon to open his case, but could not do so on the last adjourned date following his inability to physically appear in court to give evidence "after he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by unknown gunmen who opened fire on the Claimant's convoy along Warrake Village close to Auchi Town on 21 October 2022 which said Incident led to the gruesome death of seven (7) persons, consisting of four of the Claimant's family relations and three (3) Policemen who were the Claimant's security aides."
"The Claimant, who is the only witness in this case, is apprehensive about appearing physically to testify in court due to security reasons."
He, however, insisted that he was well and ready to prosecute the case to a logical conclusion, but insisted that his physical absence from court would result in delay in determining the suit.
He contended that his application was intended to prevent any further delay in the hearing of this case. He argued that the Nigerian Judiciary Information Technology Policy Document published in 2012 encourages Courts to adopt video conferencing as one of the options for conducting trials involving witnesses located outside the jurisdiction.
However, the Respondent (Sowore) objected to the application and urged the Court to dismiss the Application of the Claimant/Applicant and to award substantial cost in favour of the Defendant/Respondent for wasting the time of the court as well as an order that the Claimant/Applicant appear before this Court to give his evidence physically during the trial of this suit.
In his counter-affidavit to the motion on notice dated March 10, 2023, deposed by one Charles Olori, a Litigation Officer in OON Olabisi, the Respondent insisted that Suleman’s affidavit in support of the motion on notice is a complete falsehood.
He said that in the same period that the cleric claimed he could not travel by road due to the advice of his doctors, he attended a crusade.
It said, "That contrary to the assertion of the Claimant/Applicant in paragraph 6 of Affidavit in support of motion on notice that his absence from Court on the 13th and 14th of December 2022 was as a result of the attack carried out on the 21 October 2022 leaving the Claimant/Applicant emotionally traumatized and mentally disoriented, the Claimant/Applicant conducted a crusade on the 13 and 14 December 2022 hence the absence of the Claimant/Applicant's from court Screenshot of flier evidencing that a crusade was carried out on the 13th and 14th of December 2022 is attached and marked as Exhibit A1.
"That sequel to the above the Claimant/Applicant deliberately misled this honourable court when the Claimant had on 13th December 2022 informed the court in the letter for adjournment that the Claimant was advised by his doctor to stay away from road travels and observe rest for the time being whereas he travelled from Auchi to Port Harcourt for his crusade on the 13th and 14th of December, 2022.
"That while the court was been lied to that the Claimant could not attend court owing to health reason, the Claimant/Applicant on the same 13th of December, 2022 was doing his gospel business or merchandizing in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
"That the assertion of the Claimant/Applicant in paragraph 7 of the Affidavit in support of motion on notice, is false."
BACKGROUND
The cleric had sued over SaharaReporters’ exposure of the truths behind Stephanie Otobo’s sex scandal.
The case of Otobo, a Canada-based singer, came up in 2017 and 2018 when she accused Suleman of of sexual relationship – a controversial scandal that plagued the church and attracted the attention of Nigerians for months.
Otobo, who took to her Twitter (now X) handle, shared screenshots of her video chat with Suleman, asking him to come forward and debunk her claims.
A photo of the clergyman holding his manhood was shared and another showing her breasts while on a video call with him was also shared online.
She alleged that the cleric tried everything to stop her from progressing, and had almost ended her life.
She wrote, “If these screenshots were fake, how did I get his pics that aren't public in the first place and how come I'm the first to release this kind of pics of him? He has changed his hairstyle twice since I came out to speak up with receipts. He has done a lot to appear different.
“If the dick pic isn't his, what is he gonna say about the scar oh his left thigh? His wife can't deny that scar. How did I know he has a scar on his left thigh if we didn't have intimacy? Lol. If he's denying it, he should open up his thigh let's see. His nails too say it all.
“Some people kept on wondering why I came out exposing Apostle Johnson Suleman, and why I haven't let go ever since. The truth is that I never planned to. He pushed me to the wall and the only way I could fight back was to cry out and made everything known. The devil smile.
“Apostle Johnson Suleman tried using police to shut me up because I visited Nigeria to do feature Timaya in a song. I already paid Clarence Peters for the visuals of the song before oga arrested me, cos I refused to obey him to go back to Canada. He wanted me to amount to nothing.
“He did everything to stop my music career. He was scared that I'll be influential. He even poisoned me, paid my friends to set me up and bribed some members of my family to assassinate me. Lured me to come to make a false confession at his church in Auchi that I lied against him.
“That it was other pastors and politicians that wanted to bring him down. How come no name was mentioned.? I only did that cos the pressure was too much and everyone had left me to suffer alone. No support. I had to give up at that moment to have the opportunity for reinforcement.
“This man has done everything to end my life but God is not dead, this video is the complete story of how everything happened and how it's going lately. I'll release a comprehensive video of everything that happened and the answers to questions."
In 2022, Otobo said Suleman’s aide forced him to make a false confession in church.
She alleged that Phrank Shaibu, a media aide to Suleman, approached her and asked that the case be settled if only she could make an open confession in church stating that her initial confession was false which she agreed to.
She said, “People are nailing me for going to the church to apologise, I want you to know that I'm in my 20s, something just happened. I was lost, I was going to court for more than 2 years and I couldn't stay in Nigeria because I was going to Canada, I flew back from Canada to Nigeria 16 times, people are just seeing that part and they weren't seeing what I was going through.
“Everything happened suddenly, first of all, I'm the destitute, I had no money but he had the money to pay off everyone including my friend that I was living with to call immigration on me and she did it. I was desperate to get out of the situation, people paid me money but I didn't take the money before I went to the church.”