Court Dismisses Iyabo Ojo’s N1bn Suit Against Lizzy Anjorin Over Missing Signatures

A Lagos High Court sitting in Osborne, Ikoyi, has dismissed the ₦1 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo against fellow actress Lizzy Anjorin, citing procedural irregularities that rendered the case incompetent.

According to a report by VANGUARD, the judge presiding over the matter, Justice Olabisi Akinlade, stated that the suit suffered from “fundamental flaws” in its originating processes. “The failure to sign the original Writ of Summons at the time of filing was a fatal defect,” the judge ruled.

As a result, the court struck out the suit and awarded a cost of ₦500,000 against Ojo’s legal team, to be paid to Anjorin’s counsel, Barrister Ademola Olabiyi.

The suit, marked LD/ADR/5292/2023, was filed by Iyabo Ojo, who sought ₦1 billion in damages over alleged defamatory statements made by Anjorin. However, Olabiyi filed a preliminary objection, arguing that the suit failed to comply with the mandatory pre-action protocols under the Lagos State High Court Civil Procedure Rules.

Central to his argument was the claim that the Statement of Compliance with Pre-Action Protocol (Form 01) accompanying the Writ of Summons was unsigned. He also pointed out that the Writ itself did not follow the prescribed format and lacked proper endorsement of the reliefs sought.

Olabiyi further noted that a search conducted on April 2, 2024, revealed that the court’s file contained an unsigned original Writ and only an uncertified photocopy filed by the claimant in a counter-affidavit. “These lapses cast serious doubt on the authenticity of the originating processes,” he told the court.

In response, Dr. Olabimpe Ajegbomogun, counsel to Iyabo Ojo, argued that the defects were mere technicalities that did not affect the substantive issues of the case. She maintained that any irregularities could be corrected before trial.

Justice Akinlade, however, disagreed, holding that the rules governing court procedure must be strictly followed. “The certified copy obtained by the defendant’s counsel confirms that the Writ was unsigned when it was filed and assigned. That is a fatal procedural flaw,” she ruled.

With the case dismissed, Anjorin has been cleared of the defamation allegations at least for now on technical grounds.