By Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday dismissed a defamation suit filed by businessman/politician, Raymond Dokpesi, against Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami.

In a judgment, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi held that Dokpesi failed to establish his claim that Mohammed defamed him by allegedly including his name in a purported list of looters at a media briefing he addressed on March 30, 2018.

Dokpesi had, in the suit, averred that the minister’s alleged inclusion of his name among supposed looters of the nation’s treasury defamed him and damaged his reputation.

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He demanded N5 billion damages, a public apology to the published in five national dailies, among other reliefs.

But Justice Adeniyi faulted the evidence led by Dokpesi through the eight witnesses he called and held that the claimant failed to prove the publication of the alleged defamatory statement.

The judge dismissed the case.

Justice Adeniyi also found that the witnesses called by Dokpesi, who claimed to have watched the media briefing on the TV station, did not give evidence on the exact statement Mohammed allegedly made, which they claimed defamed the claimant.