A Federal Capital Territory Chief Magistrate’s Court in Abuja has dismissed a criminal defamation suit filed against Nollywood actress Elizabeth Anjorin, popularly known as Lizzy Anjorin, ruling that the case was incompetent and lacked merit.
Delivering judgment in suit number CR/25/2025, Chief Magistrate Sunday Adukwu upheld a preliminary objection filed by the actress and struck out the complaint. The court also awarded N50,000 in costs against the complainant, Audullahi Mosadoluwa, wife of a Lagos-based property developer.
Mosadoluwa had filed the criminal complaint against Anjorin and Shakira Ayobami, alleging criminal defamation, conduct likely to breach public peace, and the publication of false and malicious statements.
The defendants, through their counsel, challenged the competence of the suit and the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
In his ruling, the magistrate held that the complaint was fundamentally defective and failed to comply with relevant provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. He noted that the complainant improperly combined multiple offences into a single complaint, contrary to legal requirements.
The court also ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, as both the complainant and the defendants are residents of Lagos and not the Federal Capital Territory.
The magistrate further described the complaint as an abuse of court process, citing serious procedural irregularities and a clear misunderstanding of applicable legal provisions.
He concluded that the case was incompetent and struck it out, bringing the matter to a close while ordering the complainant to pay N50,000 in costs.
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