Senate committee chairman, others sued for defamation

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

LAGOS — Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma and the National Insurance Commission (NIC) have been sued before a Federal High Court in Lagos, by Alliance and General Insurance PLC, (A&AGIP), claiming damages of N2 billion for defamation.

Joining as third defendant in the suit is Mr. N. O. Opara, a worker of NIC, over alleged letter written to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, which made the senator allegedly write a letter to the Minister of Aviation.

The defamatory words being challenged in the court is that the letter clearly shows that A&AGIP does not have requisite capacity to insure the assets of Nigeria College of Aviation Technology.

A&AGIP contends that the defendants had injured its reputation as a duly licensed and credible insurance company in Nigeria by publishing serial defamatory publications maliciously about it.