A Chief Magistrate Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has dismissed a criminal defamation case filed against Nollywood actress Elizabeth Aishat Anjorin, popularly known as Lizzy Anjorin.
The court ruled that the case lacked merit and was not properly brought before it.
The suit, marked CR/25/20225, was filed by Audullahi Adebimpe Mosadoluwa, the wife of a Lagos-based property developer, Ibile.
Magistrate Sunday A.A. Adukwu not only dismissed the complaint but also ordered the complainant to pay ₦50,000 as cost to the defendants.
The ruling followed a preliminary objection raised by Lizzy Anjorin and her co-defendant, Shakira Ayobami.
Through their lawyer, A.U.E. Ogboi, they challenged the power of the court to hear the matter and questioned the competence of the complaint.
The complainant had accused the two defendants of criminal defamation, actions likely to disturb public peace, and making false and malicious statements.
She filed the case through her lawyer, Yakubu Eleto, and raised issues touching on the validity of the summons and the processes used to bring the defendants before the court.
After reviewing arguments from both sides and referring to relevant legal authorities, the magistrate resolved all issues in favour of Lizzy Anjorin and Shakira Ayobami.
The court found that the complainant failed to follow the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
In the ruling, the court held that the law requires a complainant to file only one offence in a single criminal complaint, but the complainant combined several offences in one case.
The magistrate also noted that all parties involved are residents of Lagos State and not the FCT, which further affected the court’s authority to handle the matter.
The court concluded that the complaint suffered from serious procedural defects and amounted to an abuse of court process.
Based on these findings, the criminal complaint was struck out for being incompetent, and the cost of ₦50,000 was awarded against the complainant.
