₦100bn Defamation Suit: Court Gags Ex-Abia Commissioner — A Dangerous Precedent
.........𝒂𝒔 𝑨𝒃𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 In a troubling turn of events for democracy and freedom of expression in Abia State, a court has issued an order barring Barr. Eze Chikamnayo, a former commissioner, from making public statements against Governor Alex Otti. This ₦100 billion defamation suit raises alarming questions about the state of dissent and accountability in a state that should be fostering open dialogue and criticism. The implications of this court order are profound. It signals a dangerous precedent where criticism of government officials is not only discouraged but actively punished. When a government resorts to silencing dissent through lawsuits and gag orders, it shifts from governance to intimidation....