Abuja Court Strikes Out Criminal Case Against Lizzy Anjorin, Fines Complainant ₦50,000
- Magistrate Sunday A.A. Adukwu dismissed the criminal defamation suit marked CR/25/20225, ruling that the case lacked merit and was fundamentally flawed
- The court found that the complainant violated the Administration of Criminal Justice Act by "crowding" several offences into a single complaint
- The Magistrate questioned why a matter involving residents of Lagos State was brought to a court in the Federal Capital Territory
A Federal Capital Territory Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja has dismissed a criminal defamation case filed against Nollywood actress Elizabeth Aishat Anjorin, popularly known as Lizzy Anjorin, in a ruling that has drawn fresh attention to her legal battles.
The case, marked CR/25/20225, was instituted by Abdullahi Adebimpe Mosadoluwa, the wife of a Lagos-based property developer identified as Ibile.
She had accused Anjorin and her co-defendant, Shakira Ayobami, of criminal defamation and related offences.
Source: Instagram
However, in a decision that shifted the direction of the case, Magistrate Sunday A.A. Adukwu ruled that the complaint lacked merit and was not properly brought before the court, reports The Leadership Newspapers.
The magistrate’s decision followed a preliminary objection filed by the defendants through their lawyer, A.U.E. Ogboi.
In the objection, the defence challenged the competence of the case and questioned the authority of the court to entertain the matter.
After reviewing submissions from both sides, the court agreed with the defence and resolved all issues in favour of the actress and her co-defendant.
According to the ruling, the complainant failed to comply with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The magistrate noted that the law requires a complainant to file only one offence in a single criminal complaint. In this case, however, several offences were combined, which rendered the filing defective.
The court also pointed out another major flaw in the case. All parties involved in the dispute were residents of Lagos State, not the Federal Capital Territory.
This, the magistrate explained, raised serious questions about the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter in the first place.
Based on these findings, the court concluded that the complaint suffered from serious procedural defects and amounted to an abuse of court process.
The case was consequently struck out for being incompetent.
In addition to dismissing the complaint, the magistrate ordered the complainant to pay ₦50,000 as costs to the defendants.
For many observers, the ruling marks a dramatic turn in a dispute that had generated attention within entertainment circles and on social media.
Source: Instagram
Lizzy Anjorin reacts to arrest reports
Legit.ng earlier reported that Lizzy Anjorin recently spoke over reports claiming she was arrested for defamation of character.
Reports claimed that Lizzy was taken into custody a few days ago following a petition by fellow Nollywood stars, including Toyin Abraham, Iyabo Ojo, and Dayo Amusa.
The news was first shared by popular Nigerian influencer and Iyabo Ojo’s associate, Esabod, in a post on Instagram. She stated: “Lizzy Anjorin has been arrested by ??? and has been remanded at Alagbon Police Station in Lagos. Lizzy's bail conditions will be reviewed from Monday for defamation of character.”
Source: Legit.ng
