Tinubu, Daar Comm In Out Of Court Settlement

Justice Iyabo Akinkugbe of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, was Friday told that parties in the N150 billion libel suit filed by APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu against Daar Communications PLC, owners of Africa Independent Television (AIT) have agreed to settle out of court based on certain terms of settlement. The terms of settlement are: “That the defendant hereby makes a public and unequivocal retraction of the said documentary titled ‘Lion of Bourdilon’, which was broadcast on its television station (AIT), and shall further make the retraction, three times, once daily, on AIT. “That the defendant hereby tenders an unreserved apology to f claimant for the broadcast of the documentary on its television station, AIT, and shall further tender an apology to the claimant on its television station, three times, once daily, on AIT. “That the claimant and the defendant hereby wholly and completely withdraw their respective claims from the court. ” That the claimant and the defendant shall bear their respective costs in this suit. That these Terms of Settlement shall be made the judgment of this Honourable Court in this suit.’ It would be recalled that Justice Akinkugbe had referred the parties to the Case Management Conference (CMC), maintaining that if during the conference the parties could not reach a compromise, the case would be referred to a trial judge. Tinubu had dragged the Daar Communications Plc to court, claiming damages over alleged documentary titled: “Lion of Bourdilion” ran by the television the house, which the politician claimed to have lowered his reputations in the eyes of the public. He said the documentary was politically sponsored to tarnish his reputation in the public eye. During Friday’s proceeding, counsel for both Parties (Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN and Chief Woke Olanipekun SAN) thanked the judge for giving them chance to settle the issue amicably. “We have come for settlement out of court. Every war that was fought is finally settled on a round-table. We have agreed to settle out of court based on the Terms of Settlement dated January 29, 2016" Ozekhome said.