The Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained Daar
Communications Plc (AIT) from broadcasting any video
documentaries against All Progressives Congress (APC) Vice-
Presidential candidate Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN).
Justice James Tsoho, who made the order on Wednesday,
also ordered the Nigerian Television Authority and any other
broadcast station under the control of the Broadcasting
Organisation of Nigeria, to stop airing similar videos
forthwith.
The judge made the order in positive answer to the ex parte
application brought before him by
Osinbajo through his lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), to the
effect.
The professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria had
complained to the court that the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party, having adjudged him a threat, sponsored the
documentaries to cause him disaffection in the eye of the
public.
AIT and NTA had, for weeks running, aired a documentary
detailing the “atrocious” past of the All Progressives Congress
presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
AIT also had a similar documentary on a national leader of
the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, chronicling his series of
alleged financial misconduct.
Osinbajo maintained that the said documentaries, which
allegedly contained untrue information and injurious
falsehoods, constitute a personal attack on his person.
He argued that the videos were being aired in violation of his
fundamental human right to dignity of human person, right to
privacy and family virtue and right to life and/or livelihood, as
protected by sections 33, 34 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution.
He had therefore prayed Tsoho for an order of interim
injunction, restraining AIT, NTA and any other broadcast
stations under the control of Broadcasting Organisation of
Nigeria from further disseminating or broadcasting the
damaging videos.
He said:
“Unless the respondents are restrained in the manner
requested in this application, damages will be grossly
inadequate to compensate or redress the unquantifiable,
unwarranted and malicious damage to the applicant’s
right to dignity of human person, right to livelihood and
privacy guaranteed and protected under sections 33, 34
and 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria.”
After listening to submission by Falana, Tsoho ordered that
NTA, AIT and any other broadcast sta