The summons follows a suit filed by Ondo State Commissioner of Finance, Mrs. Omowumi Isaac.
A High Court in Akure, Ondo State, has issued a summons to Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, former First Lady of Ondo State.
The summons follows a suit filed by Ondo State Commissioner of Finance, Mrs. Omowumi Isaac that drag Akeredolu to the court
Mrs. Akeredolu, widow of the late former Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, has recently made headlines for her remarks regarding her husband’s death and her criticism of the return of the current First Lady, Mrs. Oluwaseun Esther Aiyedatiwa, to the Government House in Akure.
According to court documents, the summons—titled Form 2 (0.5, г.4) and marked HCAK/53/CIV/2025—names Mrs. Omowumi Isaac as the claimant, with Mrs. Betty Akeredolu and Mr. Olumide Akinrinlola as the first and second defendants.
The defendants have been ordered to appear before the court within 30 days of being served. The document warns that failure to comply could result in the claimant proceeding with the case and obtaining a judgment in their absence.
The suit was filed on Monday, March 3, by the claimant through her legal representatives, O.O. Aribaba, Esq., and Taiwo Adedeji, Esq.
According to the writ, the Defendant “may enter appearance personally or by legal practitioner either by handing in the appropriate forms, duly completed, at the Registry of the High Court of the judicial division in which the action is brought or by sending them to the Registrar by registered post.”
The Claimant’s demands, both jointly and individually, against the Defendants are as follows: “Damages, including exemplary damages in the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) for libel contained in the Starnews online newspaper edition of 13th of February, 2025 under caption – ‘I wouldn’t be a widow if Aketi had listened to me- Betty Akeredolu Talks Tough’.
“Perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants and each of them, whether by themselves, their servants, privies or agents or otherwise, from further publishing or causing to be published in any manner whatsoever connected to or related to the said words or similar words defamatory of the Claimant.
“An order directing the Defendants to retract or cause to be retracted the said publication and tender an unreserved apology in the form and manner to be prescribed by the solicitors to the Claimant by publishing same in one full page insertion in two national dailies to wit: The Guardian and Punch Newspaper within 72 hours of the judgment of this Honourable Court.
“And such further order or other orders as the Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.”
In February, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac threatened to take Anyanwu-Akeredolu to court.
Mrs. Isaac’s decision followed an interview in which Mrs. Anyanwu-Akeredolu lamented that if her late husband, former Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, had listened to her, she would not have become a widow yet.
As a breast cancer survivor, she advocated for orthodox medicine in treating the prostate cancer that ultimately took her husband’s life. However, the late governor placed his faith in prayers from clerics.
However, this was not the part that angered Omowunmi. Her main grievance stemmed from a segment of the interview where the former First Lady allegedly made direct accusations against her. Omowunmi claimed that Anyanwu-Akeredolu essentially labelled her corrupt while explaining why the former governor had removed her from his cabinet.
Referring to the former First Lady’s remarks, Omowunmi stated that she had been defamed, slandered, and her reputation damaged.
In a letter addressed to Anyanwu-Akeredolu, Omowunmi’s lawyer, Olugbenga Adeyemi, demanded a retraction of the statements made in the interview.
The finance commissioner issued a seven-day ultimatum for the retraction in the report first published by Star News, warning that failure to comply would result in legal action.
Source: Sahara Reporters
