Asaba Court Sentences 2 Journalists for Defamation 

Fadekemi Ajakaiye 

A magistrate court sitting at Magistrate Court Number 4, Asaba, Delta State, has sentenced two journalists to prison for defamation of character, among others.

The court presided over by His Lordship B.N.Anumadu in a well considered judgement delivered on the 22nd day of November 2023 after finding them guilty on each of the 8 Counts charge sentenced the two Nigerian journalist, Prince Amour Udemude and the.Managing Editor of BIG PEN Nigeria Online Newspaper, Joe Ogbodu to two years and one year imprisonment, respectively or in the alternative to pay the sum of N100,000.00 and N50,000.00, respectively to the Delta State Government and a re traction in BIG PEN and Sahara Reporters Online, coupled with a retraction in one Nigerian Newspaper.The two journalists, Prince Amour Udemude and Joe Ogbodu were found guilty on 8 counts made up of two counts of conspiracy and 6 counts of the substantive offences of publishing defamatory publications concerning Sam Ogrih  in BIG PEN and Sahara Reporters of 14th and 17th October 2019 knowing the publications to be false. The prosecutor, Martins A.Omakor, a retired Deputy Director  in the Delta State Ministry of Justice prosecuted the said journalists on the fiat of the Hon.Attorney General of Delta State.