A Federal Capital Territory High Court in
Wuse Zone II, Abuja, has granted an order
restraining former President Olusegun
Obasanjo from going on with plans to publish
or have someone publish on his behalf, his
new autobiography titled, ‘My Watch.’
Request for the order was made by a member
of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun
State, Buruji Kashamu, in an ex parte
application.
Justice Valentine Ashi made the order on
Friday as he agreed with Kashamu’s lawyer,
Alex Iziyon (SAN), that part of the content of
the book related to the subject matter of the
N20bn libel suit instituted by the PDP chief
against former President Obasanjo.
The court restrained the former President
from publishing the book, pending the
determination of the libel suit instituted
against him.
The content of the book was said to be
related to a letter dated December 2, 2013,
written by Obasanjo to President Goodluck
Jonathan, claiming that Kashamu was
wanted for drug-related crime in the United
States of America.
Iziyon had argued on Friday that since part of
the content of the autobiography related to
the December 2, 2013 letter, which is the
subject matter of the libel suit, it was wrong
for Obasanjo to be allowed to proceed to
comment on, write books about or make
publications on the issue yet to be decided by
the court.
Justice Ashi, in his ruling, restrained
Obasanjo from either publishing the book or
have it published on his behalf by anybody,
pending the determination of the main suit.
The court order read in part, “The defendant,
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, whether by himself,
his agents, servants, privies or any other
person by whatever name called and
howsoever described, is hereby restrained
from publishing or caused to be published in
the yet to be published book, ‘My Watch’ or
any autobiography or biography and any
extracts of same, by whatever name called or
howsoever titled, pending the hearing and
determination of the motion on notice
hereof.”
The judge further restrained Obasanjo and his
agents “from further writing, printing,
publishing or causing to be published or
printed or circulated, or otherwise, publishing
of and concerning the plaintiff, the statement
contained in the Daily Sun (pages 47-49) and
The Leadership (pages 3 to newspapers of
December 12, 2013, and which statements
are alleged to have reproduced the letter
written by the defendant to the President of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, titled: ‘Before
it is too late’ or similar statements pending
the determination of the motion on notice.”
But the judge also directed Kashamu to enter
into a bond with the Chief Registrar of the
court for damages he would pay should the
order restraining Obasanjo from publishing
the book turned out to be something the
court ought not to have been granted.
The judge asked the applicant to “execute a
bond with the Registrar of the court to pay
such damages as shall be assessed should it
turn out that the order ought not to have
been granted in the first place.”
The court adjourned hearing in the main suit
till December 10.
Kashamu had, shortly after the content of the
letter was widely published in electronic and
print media, sued Obasanjo for alleged
defamation of his character.
He argued that Obasanjo “maliciously and
recklessly published a letter, titled, ‘Before it
is too late,’ which contained words which he
(Obasanjo) knew to be false.”
In his writ of summons, Kashamu stated that
the criminal imputation made against him by
Obasanjo in his letter, had injured him
(Kashamu).
He is praying the court to award in his
favour, and against the ex-President, N20bn
for the damage he had suffered as a result of
the allegation.

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