Former Nigerian Envoy Sues Ex-Minister, Sowore, Perm Sec For Libel In US Court

Lilian Onoh, a former Nigerian ambassador to Namibia, has filed a libel lawsuit against Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Gabriel Aduda, a Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

The suit also names Sahara Reporters, a New York-based online newspaper, and its publisher Omoyele Sowore as defendants.

Onoh alleges that Sahara Reporters published a defamatory article in April 2023, claiming she was fired by the Nigerian government for misappropriating N50 million. The article, she claims, portrayed her as corrupt and damaged her reputation globally.

According to Onoh’s lawyer, Steven Thornton, the article’s claims are false. Onoh was never dismissed for misappropriation, and neither Onyeama nor Aduda formed a committee to investigate her.

Onoh argues that the defendants, including Sahara Reporters and Sowore, knew the statements were false when they made them and published them.

She seeks compensation for the reputational damage, mental anguish, and economic injuries she suffered as a result of the publication.

The case has been assigned to Judge Jane J. Boyle but no hearing date has been set.

Meanwhile, Onoh and Onyeama are also locked in a separate legal battle in Nigeria regarding similar accusations of defamation.