A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has dismissed a criminal defamation suit instituted against popular Nollywood actress, Elizabeth Aishat Anjorin, widely known as Lizzy Anjorin, describing the case as incompetent and lacking merit.
The suit, with charge number CR/25/20225, was filed by Audullahi Adebimpe Mosadoluwa, wife of Lagos-based property developer, Ibile. The complainant accused Lizzy Anjorin and her co-defendant, Shakira Ayobami, of criminal defamation, acts likely to cause a breach of public peace, and making false and malicious statements.
In a ruling delivered by Magistrate Sunday A.A. Adukwu, the court not only struck out the complaint but also ordered the complainant to pay ₦50,000 as cost to the defendants.
The dismissal followed a preliminary objection raised by the defendants through their counsel, A.U.E. Ogboi, who challenged the jurisdiction of the court and the competence of the complaint. The defence argued that the matter was not properly brought before the court and that the processes used to initiate the case violated established legal procedures.
On the other hand, the complainant, represented by her lawyer Yakubu Eleto, maintained that the defendants committed multiple offences and urged the court to assume jurisdiction. However, the defence raised critical issues bordering on the validity of the criminal summons and the legality of combining multiple offences in a single complaint.
After carefully considering submissions from both parties and reviewing relevant legal authorities, Magistrate Adukwu resolved all issues in favour of Lizzy Anjorin and Shakira Ayobami.
The court held that the complainant failed to comply with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which clearly stipulates that only one offence can be filed in a single criminal complaint. The magistrate noted that the complainant improperly combined several alleged offences in one case, rendering the entire process defective.
The court further observed that all parties involved in the matter are residents of Lagos State, not the Federal Capital Territory, a factor that significantly undermined the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the case.
In its conclusion, the magistrate ruled that the complaint was riddled with serious procedural irregularities and amounted to an abuse of court process. Consequently, the criminal defamation suit was struck out for being incompetent, and the complainant was ordered to pay ₦50,000 as cost to the defendants.
The ruling brings legal relief to the Nollywood actress and her co-defendant, effectively putting an end to the criminal proceedings at the FCT Magistrate Court.
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