A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo,
Abuja, has lifted an injunction barring former
President Olusegun Obasanjo from publishing his
autobiography, ‘My Watch’.
Justice Valentine Ashi ordered on the release of
the books which had been in the custody of the
Nigerian Customs Service.
The books were intercepted by the Nigerian
Customs on the strength of the court injunction
which was granted on December 10, 2014.
But Justice Valentine Ash set aside the order of
injunction on Monday upon an application by
Obasanjo, through his lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi
(SAN).
The court asked the customs not to collect
demurrage on the books for the period they had
overspent in their custody.
The court upheld Agabi’s argument that the
applicant, a Peoples Democratic Party chief in
Ogun State, Buruji Kashamu, who is currently
pursuing a N20bn libel suit against Obasanjo in
the same court, suppressed vital facts to obtain
the order.
No journalist was in court when the judge lifted
the injunction on Monday as the ruling was not
delivered earlier on March 30, the date originally
fixed for it.
New date for the ruling was said to have been
later communicated to the parties.
Kashamu, had on December 10, 2014, obtained
the injunction from the court through an ex parte
application which he filed in his N20bn libel suit
against Obasanjo.
Kashamu had anchored his prayer on the
argument that part of the book related to the
subject matter of the libel suit – a letter dated
December 2, 2013 written by Obasanjo to
President Goodluck Jonathan.
Kashamu had instituted the libel suit against
Obasanjo having been dissatisfied with his being
described by the former President in the letter
which was widely published in the electronic and
print media as a fugitive wanted for drug offences
in the United States of America.
On December 8, 2014, Justice Ashi granted an ex
parte application restraining Obasanjo from
publishing the book pending the determination of
the libel suit.
But Obasanjo went ahead to present the book to
the public in Lagos, an act which the court held
on December 10, 2014, as contemptuous.
Following the development the court ordered
security and law enforcement agencies
including customs to confiscate the book
anywhere it was found.
The judge in his ruling on Obasanjo’s application
on Monday upheld Agabi’s argument that the
order of injunction was wrongly made.
Agabi had maintained that the court made the
order without jurisdiction.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said, “The single
ground of this application is that, in a case of
libel, an interlocutory injunction does not lie to
restrain publication in the face of a defendant
pleading justification.
“The defendant (Obasanjo) is pleading
justification. In paragraph 24 of our counter-
affidavit, the defendant said his claim about the
plaintiff is correct, true and justified from records
available in the federal court of the United States.”
He said the court had “issued without jurisdiction”
adding, “The moment an interlocutory is granted,
the issue is prejudiced, fair hearing is prejudiced.”
He also argued that the court could only validly
bar publication in a libel suit after the case of libel
was proven against the defendant.
But Kashamu’s counsel, Mr. Alex Izinyon II, urged
the court to dismiss Obasanjo’s application
seeking to set aside the December 10, 2014
order.
He said the order having been enforced by being
served on the police, Nigeria Customs Service and
other security agencies, the application had lost
relevance.
He told the court that Customs authority had
recently requested a copy of the order when its
men intercepted a container-load of the order.
The judge adjourned further proceedings in the
matter till May 25.
www.punchng.com/news/court-lifts-ban-on-obasanjos-autobiography-my-watch/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

l have already read the book on okada books

ok

Toh!

I can now buy d book

Did he really wrote it or he paid freelancers to write it for him?.

Sai Obasanjo...anyway this is just volume one...that is getting every tongue wagging...
Volume two would put Baraju Kashamu where he is supposed to be...
Volume three should be revised to include all the memos and correspondences written to Jonathan Goodluck, PhD...
No demurrage to be paid on the books in custody of customs....Nigeria Juduciary sef
This government sef

Keneking:
Sai Obasanjo...anyway this is just volume one...that is getting every tongue wagging...
Volume two would put Baraju Kashamu where he is supposed to be...
Volume three should be revised to include all the memos and correspondences written to Jonathan Goodluck, PhD...
No demurrage to be paid on the books in custody of customs....Nigeria Juduciary sef
This government sef

l have read volume 1,2 and three

ozoigbondu:
l have already read the book on okada books

Im about searching, was it a worthwhile read? interesting?

The pirated copies had done the needed damage.

chrisbaba1:



Im about searching, was it a worthwhile read? interesting?

The guy was protraying himself as a saint and others as criminals

ozoigbondu:


The guy was protraying himself as a saint and others as criminals

Oh, id pass then.... Thanks bro

Bros J's balls is about to be munched!