Ondo court summons Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu over defamation lawsuit

An Ondo High Court has summoned Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu over a N1 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Commissioner Omowumi Isaac

A High Court in Akure, Ondo State, has summoned Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, widow of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

Also read: Betty Akeredolu rejects Ondo government’s memorial lecture for late husband

In connection with a defamation lawsuit filed by the state’s Commissioner of Finance, Mrs. Omowumi Isaac.

The case, marked HCAK/53/CIV/2025, stems from an interview published in Starnews on February 13, 2025, where Anyanwu-Akeredolu made controversial statements regarding her late husband’s medical treatment and allegedly accused Isaac of corruption.

Court documents show that the lawsuit seeks:

– ₦1 billion in damages, including exemplary damages
– A perpetual injunction preventing further defamatory statements
– A full-page retraction and apology in two national newspapers

The dispute arose after Anyanwu-Akeredolu suggested that had her husband followed her medical advice on prostate cancer treatment instead of relying on prayers, he might still be alive.

She also reportedly implied financial misconduct in Isaac’s removal from the state cabinet.

Before the lawsuit, Isaac’s lawyer had issued a seven-day ultimatum demanding a retraction.

With no response, legal proceedings commenced.

The court has now ordered Anyanwu-Akeredolu and her associate, Mr. Olumide Akinrinlola, to appear within 30 days or risk a default judgment.

Also read: Court scraps 33 Ondo LCDAs created by Akeredolu

As the case unfolds, it has sparked public debate over the intersection of politics, personal grievances, and media responsibility in Nigeria.

Quadri Olaitan