Drama In Nollywood: Court Throws Out Iyabo Ojo’s ₦1 Billion Lawsuit Against Lizzy Anjorin

The court ordered Iyabo Ojo’s lawyer, Olabimpe Ajegbomogun, to pay ₦500,000 in legal costs to Lizzy Anjorin’s counsel, Barrister Ademola Olabiyi, following the dismissal of the case.

The defamation suit, filed under case number LD/ADR/5292/2023, sought ₦1 billion in damages. However, Olabiyi challenged the case with a preliminary objection, arguing that it failed to comply with the mandatory pre-action protocols outlined in the Lagos State High Court Civil Procedure Rules.

One major flaw highlighted was the omission of a signature on the Form 01 Statement of Compliance, which was required to accompany the Writ of Summons. Olabiyi asserted that this procedural error invalidated the suit from the beginning. Furthermore, the Writ did not follow the official court format and lacked a proper endorsement of the reliefs being sought.

The defence also pointed out that several documents in the court file were unsigned and lacked Certified True Copies (CTCs), raising doubts about their validity.

A search conducted on April 2, 2024, revealed that the original Writ was not signed, and the copy attached to Ojo’s counter-affidavit was merely an uncertified photocopy, the defence noted.

In rebuttal, Ojo’s legal team claimed the issues were technicalities that could be amended before trial and did not affect the substance of the case. They insisted the Writ had been properly signed.

However, Justice Akinlade disagreed, ruling that the absence of a signature on the original Writ at the time of filing was a critical procedural flaw. The judge confirmed that the certified copy obtained by Anjorin’s counsel showed the Writ remained unsigned when it was filed and assigned to the court.