Sacked Nnamzi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK) lecturer, Dr. Peter Ekemezie has filed a suit at Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka praying the court to award N500, 000,000 as general and exemplary damages over alleged defamatory story published by The Punch newspaper.
Ekemezie in the suit filed on July 17, 2020 alleged that stories published by the newspaper in May, June and July 2019 defamed his reputation and caused him great damages.
In a 47-paragraph statement of claim submitted to the court, he narrated how he received a call at about 11:45am on Monday, May 13, 2019 from a strange person who introduced himself as a Punch journalist and mentioned one Mr. Wuyi from Osun State that would like to discuss with him.
He averred in his claim that Mr. Wuyi came to his office located at Chike Obi Building, Science Village, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka on Wednesday, May 15 2019 to tell him that his caller’s name was Samson Folarin- a Punch Newspaper reporter based in Lagos i.e. the 2nd defendant in the suit.
Ekemezie claimed that his refusal to do what they demanded was the reason they published the alleged libelous story.