Akindele vs ANN Plc: Court rejects Anglican cleric’s report

By Tayo Lewis - 02.07.2009

THERE was a mild drama on Wednesday at an Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife, as the judge, Justice Kunle Adeigbe, rejected an exhibit sought to be tendered before the court by Barrister Wale Omotosho, counsel for Dr. Sunday Tunde Akindele, plaintiff in a libel case against the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc.

Akindele, a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, who is before the court to complain about a publication by the Saturday Tribune entitled: “Sexual harassment: When will it end?”, had sought to tender a document, purportedly written by the Vicar in charge of the St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Ado-Odo, Ado-Ekiti, Venerable L.K. Oladipupo, attesting to the church activities of Dr. Akindele’s father in his parish.

This was part of Akindele’s efforts to prove that contrary to the publication, he (Dr. Akindele) has records to show that he is a Christian.

Counsel for the ANN Plc, Mr. Femi Edema-Jarret, however, objected to the document, claiming that the plaintiff had over-reached himself by seeking to tender the same document, signed by the same person but bearing different dates on two different occasions.