Toke Makinwa loses defamation suit against ex-husband

A Lagos State High Court on Thursday ruled in favour of fitness entrepreneur, Maje Ayida, over a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Toke Makinwa.

Ayida had asked his ex-wife to stop the sale and promotion of her tell-all memoir, ‘On Becoming’, which detailed the topsy-turvy relationship between them. The book was launched in 2016 while the lawsuit was filed in 2017.

Their union was dissolved by an Igbosere High Court in Lagos on Thursday.

Makinwa filed for divorce in March 2016 on grounds that her husband committed adultery.

Ruling

A Lagos State High Court at Tafawa Balewa Square presided by Olukayode Ogunjobi in its judgment held that after careful consideration of the evidence before the court, it finds only the contents of page 54 lines 11-16 and page 83, line 1 of the 1st defendant’s book as defamatory.

The court, thereafter, granted damages of the sum of N500,000 each to be paid by the 1st and 2nd defendants to any charity organisation of the claimant’s choice.

The court also granted an injunction preventing the defendants from producing copies of its book with the defamatory words on pages 54 and 83.

In addition, the court gave the defendant 30 days from its judgment to delete and remove said defamatory words from unsold copies of the book in the defendant’s custody.

Background

In the bestselling tell-all memoir, Makinwa accused her former husband of giving her STDs, being a serial cheat, and committing adultery.

The book also detailed what transpired in the love triangle among herself, her estranged husband, and Anita Solomon, who was alleged to be responsible for the crash of the union.

Solomon is a lawyer, mediator, and Internet business coach.

In February 2017, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ayida hired lawyers to sue his ex-wife for ‘fabrications’ in her book.

Ayida’s lawsuit also mentioned that the book contained defamatory words, was misleading, and had subjected him to public ridicule.

He, in the letter, asked Makinwa, among other things, to withdraw the book from circulation, recall all copies distributed and hand them over to him for destruction.

The letter also said failure by the media personality to take back the words said in the book, and give a full-page advert apologising to Ayida in three national newspapers will lead to the commencement of legal action.