A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has granted an interim order restraining the Africa Independent Television (AIT) from broadcasting a documentary, titled: Lion of Bourdillion, about former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Justice Olamide Akinkugbe of the high court granted the restraining order yesterday while ruling on an ex parte motion filed by the former governor through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN).
The court order will subsist pending the hearing and determination of the interlocutory application filed by the applicant.
Asiwaju Tinubu, who is also the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had, through his lawyer, instituted a N150 billion suit against AIT for airing the documentary.
The applicant alleged that the documentary was libellous and aimed at tarnishing his image.
The APC national leader sought an order of interim injunction restraining AIT, whether by itself, agents, privies and or other persons from producing or continuing to broadcast, airing, or continuing to reproduce the documentary.
The applicant also sought to restrain the television station from continuing to broadcast the documentary, which it started airing on March 1, 2015, and had been repeating same daily, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The motion noted that damages would not adequately compensate the applicant/claimant if the ex-parte order was not granted and prayed that the rest of the suit may be extinguished if the ex-parte order was not granted.
It stated that there was real, imminent and urgent threat and danger of continuing to decimate the person and integrity of Tinubu by AIT by continuing to air the “offensive” broadcast if the ex-parte motion was not granted.
When Olanipekun sought to move the interlocutory application, counsel to AIT Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) objected.
Ozekhome told the court that he needed time to respond to the application.
He told the court that his earlier reply was to the suit initially filed by Dr. Tunji Abayomi on behalf of Asiwaju Tinubu.
Consequent upon this development, Olanipekun made an oral application in which he prayed the court to grant an interim order restraining AIT from further airing the contentious documentary.
Although Ozekhome objected, Justice Akinkugbe upheld the application.
The judge said: “The defendant is hereby restrained from further airing, publishing or disseminating and broadcasting the documentary, Lion of Bourdilion, pending the determination of the interlocutory application.”
She adjourned the matter to March 20, 2015, for argument on the interlocutory application.
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