Onoh Lilian, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Namibia, has initiated legal proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas against the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, and Permanent Secretary Mr. Gabriel Aduda, for alleged libel.
The case, assigned to Judge Jane Boyle for adjudication, has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.
In the court documents, Onoh accuses Onyeama and Aduda of tarnishing her reputation through a New York-based online newspaper. The publication, in April, asserted that the Nigerian government dismissed Onoh due to the misappropriation of N50 million.
Onoh’s counsel, Steven Thornton, contends that the online newspaper deliberately used her photograph to ensure the story’s impact.
In response to the allegations, Onoh, in memos to former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, accused Onyeama of condoning corrupt practices in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Court papers reveal that Onoh, during her tenure as an Ambassador, reported instances of embezzlement of millions of U.S. dollars and billions of Naira by various Nigerian officials. The online newspaper claimed that Aduda and Onyeama were part of an investigative committee that indicted Onoh for fraud.
Onoh’s lawyer argues that the media claims in the contested story are false, asserting that she was never terminated from any posting for misappropriation of funds. Furthermore, he disputes that Onyeama created a committee to investigate Onoh, and Aduda did not head any such committee.
In the prayers before the judge, Thornton demands litigation costs and “all such other and further relief at law and in equity to which Onoh may show herself to be justly entitled.”