Otti’s N5bn Suit: Ubani Invented Facebook Hacking Defence, Witness Tells Court

A witness for Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has dismissed the state’s former Commissioner for Information Don Ubani’s declare that his Facebook account utilized in defaming the governor was hacked.

The witness, Ferdinand Ekeoma, described the hacking declare as an afterthought throughout cross-examination on Tuesday within the N5bn defamation go well with instituted by Otti towards Ubani earlier than the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Ekeoma, the governor’s second witness, maintained that Ubani personally made the Facebook submit on September 26, 2024.

In the publication, Ubani accused Otti of grabbing land belonging to widows in communities in Isialangwa South Local Government Area of the state. He additionally alleged that the governor acquired Comfort Hotel and Damgret Hotel in Umuahia, by way of proxies.

Asked whether or not the alleged hacking of Ubani’s Facebook account may absolve him of legal responsibility for the publication, Ekeoma mentioned the ‘hacking of his account story was false and an afterthought.

Earlier, while being led in evidence by Otti’s counsel, Dr Sonny Ajala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ekeoma adopted his witness deposition of November 20, 2025, and tendered eight paperwork in help of the governor’s case.

The courtroom admitted the paperwork, which included earlier Facebook publications by Ubani through which Ekeoma was tagged.

Ekeoma instructed the courtroom that Ubani’s earlier posts shared the identical prose, sample and elegance because the publication in query, which he cited as proof that Ubani authored it.

The go well with, marked FCT/HC/CV/4474/2024, arose from a September 2024 Facebook submit titled “Governor Alexander Otti Of Abia State Should Be Clapped For.”

Governor Otti had denied the allegations and described the publication as “satanic and defamatory”.

He is searching for N5bn in damages and N150m as the price of the go well with after Ubani didn’t retract the publication and apologise.

The courtroom adjourned the go well with till March 1, 2027, for continuation of listening to.

In March 2026, THE WHISTLER reported {that a} High Court of the FCT ordered Ubani to pay N50m in damages to Chief Umeh Kalu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Abia State Attorney-General, over a separate publication.

Justice J.O.E. Adeyemi-Ajayi, in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/6777/2023, additionally ordered Ubani to publish a full-page apology in ThisDay and The Sun newspapers.

Kalu had sued Ubani over a June 2023 press assertion titled “What a demeaning unprofessional conduct by Chief Umeh Kalu, SAN,” through which the previous commissioner accused him of fraudulent conduct and questioned his ethical health to practise legislation.

Ubani additionally described Kalu as a “tout” and a shame to the authorized occupation, amongst different allegations.

Kalu, who sought N500m in damages, argued that the publication broken his repute and uncovered him to public ridicule amongst colleagues and associates.

The SAN mentioned the proceeds would go to motherless infants’ properties in Abia State.