A Canada-based Yoruba art and culture promoter, Mr Joel Olaniyi Oyatoye, has asked a Lagos High Court to compel Nollywood actress, Mrs Elizabeth Anjorin Lawal, popularly known as ‘Lizzy Anjorin’ to pay him N30 million for alleged defamation
Oyatoye, popularly known as Baba Asa, is the plaintiff in the suit numbered LD/ADR/3481/2021, while Lizzy Anjorin is the sole defendant.
The plaintiff, in his February 23 statement of claim and a 13-paragraph affidavit, alleged that the defendant defamed him on her social media page.
Baba Asa averred that he became conversant with the actress in the course of his business as a promoter and enabler of Yoruba art, culture and tradition in 2018 when he was preparing to organise the annual Asa Day for 2018 in Canada.
He averred that the actress was contacted to participate in the event and all issues relating to her participation and engagement in the Asa Day 2018, were sorted out effectively and conclusively.
Baba Asa claimed that on January 30, 2021, several of his acquaintances informed him that they saw a post on social media attributed to the actress titled ‘The Fraudster of Manitoba and the Fraudster of Winnipeg’ which alleged that Baba Asa perpetrated a fraud on her and people connected to her.
The claimant averred that there was no justification for the defendant to issue the post regarding his personality, adding that the content of the post was damaging to and disparaging of his character.
Baba Asa further stated that in response, he briefed his counsel who wrote Lizzy Anjorin on February 1, and the letter was delivered to the actress at her business address in Lekki.
He alleged that despite receiving the letter, the defendant again went ahead to issue, publish and commissioned further defamatory posts against him.
He prayed the court to order Lizzy Anjorin to immediately delete all her defamatory posts on her Instagram handle and other social media platforms, tender an unreserved apology for her alleged action against him and pay him the sum of N30 million as damages for the wrongful and unlawful assassination of his character.
