Victory For Lizzy Anjorin: Court Throws Out Defamation Case

According to legal sources, 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 case, filed by Audullahi Adebimpe Mosadoluwa, wife of Lagos-based property developer Ibile, was marked CR/25/20225. Magistrate Sunday A.A. Adukwu ruled that the complaint lacked merit and was improperly brought before the court. In addition, the complainant was ordered to pay ₦50,000 in costs to the defendants.

The dismissal followed a preliminary objection raised by Lizzy Anjorin and her co-defendant, Shakira Ayobami, through their lawyer A.U.E. Ogboi. The objection challenged the court’s authority to hear the case and questioned the validity of the complaint.

The complainant had accused the defendants of criminal defamation, making false and malicious statements, and actions likely to disturb public peace. The case, filed through lawyer Yakubu Eleto, also raised concerns about the validity of the summons and the procedures used to bring the defendants before the court.

After reviewing submissions from both sides and relevant legal authorities, the magistrate ruled in favour of Lizzy Anjorin and Shakira Ayobami. The court found that the complainant failed to comply with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which requires each complaint to focus on a single offence. Multiple offences had been improperly combined in this case.

The magistrate further noted that all parties involved are residents of Lagos State, outside the court’s jurisdiction in the FCT, compounding procedural issues. The court concluded that the complaint was procedurally defective and amounted to an abuse of court process, striking it out as incompetent.