Ogun-East senator in the National Assembly, Buruji Kashamu, has withdrawn a N20.1bn libel suit he instituted against former President Olusegun Obasanjo before a Federal Capital Territory court in Abuja. It was learnt that the presiding judge, Justice Valentine Ashi, struck out the suit on May 26, 2015, following the notice of discontinuance of the suit filed by the plaintiff.
Kashamu, a Peoples Democratic Party chief in Ogun State, was said to have anchored his decision to withdraw the suit on “an ongoing settlement talks” between him and Obasanjo. But the lawyers who are representing the former President in the suit said they were not aware of such talks.
Kashamu had on February 6, 2014, sued Obasanjo for “maliciously and recklessly” publishing a letter titled, ‘Before it is too late,’ addressed to former President Goodluck Jonathan in December 2013.
The newly-inaugurated senator had asked the court to award him N20bn as aggravated and exemplary damages, and another N100m against Obasanjo for maliciously portraying him as a fugitive wanted for drug- related offences in the United States of America.
-Punch
