The talk-of-the-nation jail term handed out to Bode George today will reverberate in another courtroom on Friday when a judge hears libel suit he instituted against two newspapers: The NEWS magazine and Daily Independent. The cases marked the beginning of Bode George's trouble in the first place.
In particular, The NEWS had published a thorough expose in which it laid bare the contract scams Chief George allegedly engaged in as the chairman of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) from a report compiled by the EFCC.
With his typical but characteristic arrogance, the former state governor sued the two newspapers for libel, claiming that his reputation had been injured, and asking for a hefty pay day of N3 billion from the newspapers.
But the newspapers, defended by Femi Falana, fought back, insisting that their stories were justified. In effect, George's brand new jail cell has already vindicated those reports and he may be the one paying the newspapers.
The libel case, which comes up on Friday before Justice Oshodi of the Lagos High Court, will adopt written briefs by the counsels to the plaintiffs and defendants.
It is a case in which lawyers to the defendants and the defendants, specifically the CEO of The NEWS magazine , Mr. Bayo Onanuga, were physically attacked in the court premises, leading to injuries that the police claim they are still investigating. Chief George had a habit of sending thugs and party faithfuls in regalia to court premises, with the objective of intimidating his opponents. When he was jailed today, those hired supporters left the court premises depressed and deflated. They hoped to stir up some trouble, but the police stood by.
Bode George's surprising imprisonment was undertaken by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, who is known for his fearlessness in dispensing justice in fraud cases. He is also remembered for the case Emmanuel Nwude, Amaka Anajemba and Mr. Nzeribe Okoli, sentencing them to two years imprisonment for defrauding a Brazilian Banker, Mr. Nelson Sakaguchi, and his Brazilian bank, Banquo Noreste, of $242 million.
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