FCT Court allows Gov. Alex Otti to serve ₦100bn defamation suit via Facebook and WhatsApp after failed personal service attempts.
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has granted Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, permission to serve court documents through Facebook and WhatsApp in his ongoing ₦100 billion defamation lawsuit against a former state official.
The ruling, delivered by Justice J.E. Obanor on October 16, 2025, approved Governor Otti’s application for substituted service after repeated attempts at personal service failed. The court authorized the bailiff to transmit the writ of summons and other legal documents to the defendant using the social media platforms and the defendant’s registered mobile number.
According to the motion ex parte filed by Otti’s counsel, Dr. Sonny Ajala (SAN), the defendant had earlier received a solicitor’s demand letter through the same online channels, which established them as effective and verifiable means of communication.
The demand letter, dated October 2, 2025, had requested the retraction of alleged defamatory online publications targeting the governor. However, after the defendant failed to comply, Otti proceeded to file Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/3921/2025 on October 8, 2025, seeking legal redress and damages.
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Governor Otti is demanding ₦100 billion in general damages, citing harm to his reputation and emotional distress caused by the publications. He also seeks a public apology from the defendant to be published both on social media and in major national newspapers.
The matter has been adjourned to January 19, 2026, for hearing.
This case marks one of the few instances in Nigeria where a court has authorized social media platforms as legitimate channels for serving legal documents, reflecting the judiciary’s growing adaptation to digital communication trends.