FUGRO SUBSEA LLC VS PETROLOG LIMITED
April 12, 2021PRINCE PAUL OMOMZUAWO & ANOR v. CHIEF YAKUBU UGBODAGA (JP) & ORS.
April 19, 2021MR. EMMANUEL S. AKPAN v. MR. NTIENYONG UDO AKPAETOK
(2021) Legalpedia (CA) 11124
In the Court of Appeal
HOLDEN AT CALABAR
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Suite Number: CA/C/277/2015
CORAM
MOJEED ADEKUNLE OWOADE
JAMES SHEHU ABIRIYI
MUHAMMED LAWAL SHUAIBU
MR. EMMANUEL S. AKPAN | MR. NTIENYONG UDO AKPAETOK
AREA(S) OF LAW
APPEAL
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE
SUMMARY OF FACTS
The Plaintiff/Appellant before the High Court of Akwa Ibom State claimed against the Defendant/Respondent the sum of N10 million Naira damages for slander, an apology to him and an injunction restraining the Respondent from further publishing the slander. The case of the Appellant was that the Respondent, on or about 9th August, 2012, knowing that, he (Appellant) was about to marry went about the village and its environs far and wide maliciously and falsely uttered slanderous words against him. The Respondent denied uttering those words at any time or any word against the Appellant, which was reckless or malicious. After considering the evidence adduced by both parties and addresses of their counsel, the Court below dismissed the claim of the Appellant, hence the instant appeal.
HELD
Appeal Dismissed
Issues Of Determination
Whether the Court was right in dismissing the case of the claimant/appellant on the ground that the claimant/appellant failed to prove publication of the alleged slanderous words when in fact the claimant/ appellant and his witness in their evidence proved publication?”
RATIONES
“To succeed in an action for slander where the words complained of were not uttered in English; 1) The plaintiff must prove that the actual words were published to a person other than the plaintiff. 2) Prove that the translation to English was by a sworn interpreter as an expert witness. The sworn interpreter is to prove the correctness of the translation of the foreign language to English. The two requirements above must co-exist at the same time and must also be pleaded and satisfied before a plaintiff can succeed in an action in slander as in this case. Where the plaintiff is unable to prove any of these ingredients as required by law, his case remains unproven. See Oruwari v. Osler (2012) LPELR – 19764 p.40-41 per Chukwumah-Eneh, JSC.
Per J. S. ABIRIYI, J.C.A.
ACTION FOR SLANDER – DUTY OF A PLAINTIFF IN AN ACTION FOR SLANDER
“A plaintiff, according to the law, must in his statement of claim over all material facts in a case of slander, the place where the slander was uttered in order to enable the defendant know exactly the case he has to meet. See Ezomo v. Oyakhire (1985) LPELR – 1216 SC p.7-8 per Aniagoh, JSC.
Per J. S. ABIRIYI, J.C.A.
STATUS(ES) REFERRED TO
Not Available|
COUNSELS
M. O. Etim, Esq.For Appellant(s)|Edet T. Etukudo, Esq.For Respondent(s)|
