Former Nigerian Ambassador to Namibia, Ms. Lilian Onoh, has filed a libel lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas against former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama.
Also implicated in the case is Mr. Gabriel Aduda, a former Permanent Secretary at the ministry. The lawsuit, now under the jurisdiction of Judge Jane Boyle, awaits a scheduled hearing date.
In the legal documents, Onoh alleges that Onyeama and Aduda utilized a New York-based online newspaper to tarnish her reputation. According to the court filings, the online newspaper published an article in April asserting that Ms. Onoh was dismissed by the Nigerian government due to the misappropriation of N50 million. The publication intentionally included Onoh’s photograph to emphasize the subject of the story.
Onoh’s legal representative, Steven Thornton, expressed dismay at the newspaper’s portrayal of his client as corrupt, accusing her of diverting funds intended for the operation of Nigeria’s High Commission in Namibia. The published story claimed that Aduda and Onyeama were part of an investigative committee that accused Ms. Onoh of fraud.
Previously, Onoh had submitted memos to then Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, accusing Onyeama of tolerating corrupt practices in the foreign ministry under his supervision.
As an Ambassador, Onoh reported instances of embezzlement involving millions of U.S. dollars and billions of naira of Nigerian government funds by various officials. She also exposed the embezzlement of $2.8 million in Red Cross Funds designated for Haiti earthquake victims, along with allegations of visa racketeering against the USA and other countries by her successor in Jamaica.
Onoh’s lawyer contends that the claims made by Sahara Reporters in the disputed story are false, asserting that she was never terminated from any government post for misappropriation of funds. Additionally, it is argued that Onyeama did not establish a seven-person committee to investigate Onoh, and Aduda did not lead any such committee.
In seeking redress before the judge, Thornton demanded the reimbursement of litigation costs and “all such other and further relief at law and in equity to which Onoh may show herself to be justly entitled.”