John Okoro
Nollywood star Iyabo Ojo’s N1 billion defamation lawsuit against Lizzy Anjorin has been thrown out by a Lagos court due to technical irregularities.
The Osborne High Court in Ikoyi dismissed the case following revelations about improper filing procedures, as reported by Vanguard News.
Presiding judge Justice Olabisi Akinlade declared the suit invalid, citing critical errors in its initiation. The court also mandated Iyabo Ojo’s legal representative, Dr. Olabimpe Ajegbomogun, to compensate Anjorin’s attorney, Barrister Ademola Olabiyi, with N500,000.
Filed under case number LD/ADR/5292/2023, Ojo had pursued hefty damages over alleged slanderous remarks. However, Anjorin’s defense team successfully argued that the plaintiff failed to adhere to mandatory pre-trial protocols required by Lagos court regulations.
Central to their argument was the absence of a signature on the Statement of Compliance with Pre-Action Protocol (Form 01) attached to the Writ of Summons. Olabiyi maintained this oversight invalidated the case and pointed out additional deviations from standard court procedures, including improperly formatted reliefs.
The defense further emphasized discrepancies uncovered during an April 2024 review of court records, which showed unsigned original documents and an absence of certified copies among Ojo’s submissions.
In rebuttal, Ojo’s legal team dismissed these concerns as minor technicalities, insisting they didn’t impact the case’s merits and could be rectified. They asserted proper documentation existed, though presented only photocopies in court filings.
Justice Akinlade ultimately concluded the unsigned Writ of Summons represented an irreparable flaw, confirming through court-certified evidence that the documents were incomplete when initially filed.
