Alleged Defamation: Victory For Press Freedom As BSN Sports Humiliates NFF's Ruth David In Court

Alleged Defamation: Victory For Press Freedom As BSN Sports Humiliates NFF's Ruth David In Court

By Niyi Busari

The Acting Director of Competition, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ruth David, today (Monday) lost its defamatory case against BSN Sports filed at the FCT High Court, Gwagwalada over a publication titled "U20 FIFA World Cup - Allowance Scandal Hits Falconets Camp," BSNSports.com.ng can report.

In 2018, two months after the publication, Ruth David sued BSN Sports in the suit number CV/1975/2019 for defamation adding that the publication is aimed at disparaging her personality. She however, prayed that the court asked the defendant to pay the sum of Twenty million naira (N20m).

BSN Sports on 4th August, 2018 few weeks after the Nigeria U20 women's team, the Falconets lost out at the world Cup wrote the story that the federation failed to pay the players and officials match bonuses and allowance for the African qualifiers and 10-day camping in Austria. 

Ruth David in her written address before the court showing the payment of the players and officials of the team for allowance received for one win and one draw at the World Cup. The payment of the two-match allowance according to the exhibit was paid on 4th October, 2018 while the story was published two months (August 2018) before the purported payment. More so, the publication dwelled on the non-payment of the six matches the team played during the African Qualifiers where they won five games and drew one. 

 Defendant lawyer, Barrister Dr. Celsus Ukpong (esq) stated unequivocally that the publication was not aimed at Ruth David but the NFF who didn't see the publication as defamatory and reason they refused to be joined in the case. 

Not being convinced by the plaintiff claims as she failed to provide enough evidence and witness to back her claims, the judge on Monday 6th March, 2023 said the evidences provided by the defendant were overwhelming that the publication was not libellous nor defamatory.

Justice A.I Akobi, therefore threw out the case and ruled in favour of Mr. Niyi Busari, Publisher BSN Sports.