From Damola Adeloye, Ibadan
Ibadan High Court has adjourned the N500 billion libel case instituted by Mrs Morenike Adegbulu against Mr Oriyomi Hamzat, owner of Agidigbo FM and two others to January 19, 2026 for further hearing.
Others sued along Hamzat include Sure Etiquette Media and Mr Shamsudeen Adeola for allegedly airing defamatory contents against her.
In the litigation, the Ibadan-based textile business woman appealed to Justice Elijah Taiwo to declare her the original owner of shop number P 74 at Bola Ige International Market (formerly known as New Gbagi market) without delay.
When being led in evidence by her lawyer, Taiwo Ajayi, Madam Adegbulu told Justice Taiwo that she bought the said shop in 2015 at the cost of N3.8 millon on three instalments from Madam Bamidele Olanisebe (aka Iya Adijah).
She averred that she paid N2 million on the first instalment, N1.3 million on the second instalment and N500 million on the third instalment.
During cross-examination by counsel to the defendants, Ridwan Adekola, she told the court that the leadership of Bola Ige International Market promised to award the ownership of the shop in dispute to her if she can give them N2 million bribe.
In the case marked 1/800/2023 which was filed at the Oyo State High Court on November 24, 2023, the plaintiff is seeking an order to stop the radio station from further broadcast of any other programme about her.
The claimant stated that the said programme, Kokoro Alate which was aired on November 15, 2023 had done incalculable damage to her reputation and her business activities.
Third defendant in the suit, Mr Adeola, according to the claimant, was featured on “Kokoro Alate” programme where he allegedly said in Yoruba that he dated a lady, Morenike Eleko, who in alleged connivance with her mother, gave him a fetish substance to bathe with and they took everything he had and now they are trying to take the only shop he has.
On the relationship between her and Adeola, Madam Adegbulu declared that she agreed to help him when he was sacked by his employer.
She emphasised that she purchased shop P 74 in 2015 and has been in charge of it until 2023 when the executive officers of Bola Ige International Market allegedly colluded with the defendants to deprive her of her rights over the shop.
Also, a language expert, Mr Taiwo Adegun tendered the interpreted transcript and the video of the programme aired by Oriyomi at Agidigbo FM on November 10, 2023 as an exhibit before the judge.
