TheCable

A high court in Abuja has given an order restraining Bash Ali, former world cruiserweight champion, from making defamatory publications against Sunday Dare, minister of youth and sports development.

In a video released earlier this week, Ali had accused the minister of extorting “millions of naira” from him as part of the process to organise a world boxing title fight for him.

The 63-year-old boxer said he had proposed a Guinness World Record boxing fight to President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, the president inaugurated a committee on October 15, 2019, adding that the minister was saddled with the responsibility of hosting the fight.

“Sunday Dare met with me and extorted millions of naira from me in the name of Muhammadu Buhari. And in the name of quickly putting the historic fight together. When I refused further instructions, Sunday Dare now called a press conference to say Nigeria has never had a hand in the hosting of this historic fight,” Ali had said.

Consequently, Dare, through Festus Keyamo Chambers, his counsel, filed an interlocutory application with motion no. M/7145/2021 to restrain Ali from further denigrating his person until the pending suit is resolved one way or the other.

At the sitting on Wednesday, O.C. Agbaza, the judge, granted the orders as prayed by the claimant.

“To serve the Originating Process and all subsequent processes on the Defendant by substituted means to wit: by pasting same at a conspicuous space of Suite D58, Area 11 Shopping Mall, Garki Abuja being the last known address of the Defendant,” the judge ruled.

“An order of this Court restraining the Defendant from further publishing denigrating material about the Claimant with respect to his position as the honourable minister of youths and sport development pending the determination of the Motion on Notice already filed in this suit. All such service on the Defendant through this means shall be deemed good and proper.”

The matter was adjourned till November 15 for further hearing.