In a bid to redeem his image allegedly battered by a libelous publication, the vice-captain of the Nigerian national team, Mr. Joseph Yobo, who plies his football trade with Everton Football Club of England, has slammed a N500 million suit on the publisher of Complete Sports, Dr. Sunny Obazu Ojeagbase and his communication outfit.

According to a statement of claim supported by a statement on oath by one of the fans of the claimant, Mr. Olatokunbo Adedotun and filed before a Lagos High Court by a Lagos lawyer, Barrister Abiodun Onidare, the international footballer alleged that the defendant through their publication, have greatly injured his reputation as a prominent and distinguished sportsman, thereby bringing his name to shame, odium, ridicule, scorn and contempt.

The claimant alleged further that on 6 September 2009, he participated in 2010 FIFA Word Cup qualifying football match between Nigeria and Tunisia, played at the National Stadium, Abuja, the matched ended in a 2-2 draw.

That on the front page of Complete Sports of Friday 11 September, 2009, in an article headlined: “Revealed! Revealed! Revealed! Revealed! Yobo Leads Tucano Celebration Shame”, that the Super Eagles Vice Captain, Joseph Yobo, was reportedly fingered as the player whose birthday celebration lured the Eagles to a shameless gig at a night they sent, via their sloppy, spineless display, a lot Nigerians into grief and teeth gnashing.

That this latest revelation made nonsense of earlier reports that the Everton of England star was not among the Super Eagles players who took part in an all night gig in Abuja, after Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Tunisia.

That it has emerged that the Everton of England defender reportedly organised the event to celebrate his birthday.

Yobo averred that these aforementioned published words and others published by the sport newspaper, were understood to mean among other things, that he is an irresponsible and insensitive person, who does not share the grief caused by the result of the football match between Nigeria and Tunisia.

The claimant was also alleged to have been portrayed as a selfish and unpatriotic individual who, despite the outcome of the match, went ahead to organise his birthday party.

However, Yobo contended that the said publication was false as he neither organised any party to celebrate his birthday on that day, nor attended any birthday party on the day in issue.

Consequently, he averred that the defendant’s wrong information has caused him untold hardship, psychological nightmares and has damaged his hard-earned reputation; that therefore, he would claim from the defendant, jointly and severally, as follows:

(1) An order of the court directing and compelling the defendants to publish a retraction and unqualified apology in several national daily newspapers in Nigeria.
(2) The sum of N500 million as general and special damages.
(3) An order of the court restraining the defendants from further publication of the alleged offensive words.
(4) The sum of N2 million as the cost of instituting and prosecuting this suit.

Read more and peoples comment on the link below;

http://thepmnews.com/2009/10/19/yobo-sues-sports-paper-asks-for-n500msports/comment-page-1#comment-146266

very funny

Let them retract the publication, this guy has got gut meaning that he did not attend or organise any party and this would be a lesson to others

i think they shd not settle out of court, am i still thinking?, abeg, yobo make them pay tru thier a.s.s., nxt time they wont try that nonsence again, .useless press ^{(specially wen it comes to sport news)},

betta dey see before u write, abi na ur dream u write?

Let us know the real truth.

Mr Yobo must u make more money from complete sport, after all u ve got in football and ve it in mind that it is press people that brougth u to limelight.
Pls make it one on one talk with the CEO of complete sport and let peace RAIN PLSSSSSSSSSSSS.
Dont be pls.

This,I think,is a straightforward case, and the issue can be identified thus:Did Yobo partake in or organise a birthday bash in his honour after the match?If yes, then Complete Sport can use the defence of Justification.But if Yobo neither partook in nor organised any bash,then Complete Sport will most likely be liable.Since the case is in court,let the court decide!

Ajiade:

Mr Yobo must u make more money from complete sport, after all u ve got in football and ve it in mind that it is press people that brougth u to limelight.
Pls make it one on one talk with the CEO of complete sport and let peace RAIN PLSSSSSSSSSSSS.
Dont be pls.

In most cases like this, the celebs usually pass on all the money to charity.
Even Premiership players like Ashley Cole have done the same.

eldee:

In most cases like this, the celebs usually pass on all the money to charity.
Even Premiership players like Ashley Cole have done the same.

. .And you think Yobo would do likewise?

Yobo na thief! He don broke and him dey find Maga whey go give am money,  can you imagine!  E no even talk N100M, e come dey ask for N500M,  Ole!!! Yobo!

Why is this guy trying to mess himself.
He was among thos guys who pushed Nigeria football to this terrible state!
God should forgive all of them!

Complete sports as an outfit worth 100m so

Nigerian newspapers like to write "stories to nta paper" meaning news that sells the papers, they do it without care of reputaton damage or whatever that might be involved, this case should really be tried in the law court, let's see who's got guts.

N1 yobo will not get.Nigerians are not happy wit d way they are playin.After playin nonsence against tunisia&mozambique,they got $10,000 for each matches.Tax payers money&we are not even sure of qualifying.Here d vice captain is talking about libel.Nigerians are angry with this footballers that un patrotic

If true that is very good . . now all the papers will do proper investigation before writing such
lol i doubt he will get that much though

500 Million

Wetin na? How much the Complete Sport sef worth?

This guy is a real Gem. Its one step too much for this 9ja journos. let them pay or publicly apologize n dent their own image n reputation. too bad. well done Yobo

Hmmmmm

Mr Yobo come and invest in the country like ur colleagues,dont be greedy, u ve got enough to be looking 4 more.

Yobo thinks he has achieved what no nigerian player has achieved.Do u think there is no truth in what complete sports published. I still think Yobo and his unconcerned colleagues went to that party.I will advise him to withdraw the suite if he wants Nigerian to celebrate him as a player that has interest of Nigeria at heart.

Am not a football fan! but Yobo or whatever, you aint making Nigerian happy with that team. Go tidy up your corner.
I hate greedy people, you sound rediculous with such claim you are trying to make. complete sport may not be 100% sure
about the publication but some how you could have connection with story. All Celebs face media pressure. Its natural.
Yobo you are this popular today because the media contributed to bringing you to sport light.

complete sport make your verification right before publication. Dont give that thief a kobo. You can rewrite the script
by making another headline paper with the real story or some sort of apology. A headline line paper like 'complete sport apologises
to yobo after false story'  
Yobo earn yourself honest living like you been doing , put that energy u are wasting now, pursuing a greedy case that will lead you no where.
Put the energy into the team and stop disgracing and showing off greed.
you sound like a greedy idiot with such claim.

The media should always investigate very well before publishing any information,is one of the ethics of mass communication.Let the law have its way.

Is high time they start telling us the truth. This will serve as a lesson to others.
Nonsense

Please what is the news about this I cant really figure out the big deal here now either the newpaper wrote wrong publication or false publication or whatever so is that the reason for asking for 500 million? it is unfortunate what we want now from whoever super eagle or super bird or whatever they call themselves is just go out there and qualify us for world cup full stop no more bla bla bla ok Mr Yobo.

I expected you (Yobo) to be patrotic if the news is anything to go by, it is not a crime to orgabnise a birthday bash but not when the world cup is at stake and ticklet is subject to your (players) patrotism, So tell me Yobo who is going to precide over your matter in the court? The agrieved Judge who is a Nigeria that wants Nigeria flag hoist at South Africa, Have a rethink

Yobo is a big fool!!!!!!!!! instead of thinking of how to qualify Nigeria for the world cup, the slowpoke is here talking about libel, shows you how patrotic the idiot is. For Gods sake, this is not the time for law suits, he should first get Nigerians out of the mess he and his non chalant co-players put us in. FOOL

Of course everyone knows the money will go to charity if he wins.
He's most definitely not going to get that mch but at least it will serve as a deterrent.

Aren't you guys tired of reading bullshit in the papers??
How many times do you read a Nigerian backpage and actually believe what they said??
This is just Yobo making them know that they cannot keep making money off celebs because they feel like.
What they did was just patronising the minds of Nigerians for their own good. . .y'all are educated, you should know this.

Abeg jo! Make una leave story.
This should be a harsh lesson to all the shity press in Naij.
Didn't they have anything better to write about?
Yobo for don sue for N1 Billion Naira self.

@ K.K.N

Abeg if someone can file a law suit for N500 M does dat not show you that they must have enough money in their pocket, considering the fact that the case could go either way?

Abeg make una talk with common sense, broke my yansh!
Football na beans? e eaaaaasy?
Come run 4 standard pitch in winter for 90 mins make we see how you cope the following morning!

Wether he broke or he no broke N500 M go still pay the CEO's salary for 20 years!

My question is,
is this the right time for this?
Cant he wait until after qualifications? i think he is trying to divert our minds,we can neva forget the embarrasing results he and his colleagues churned out against Tunisia and Mozambigue. make him go rest jo!!!!!!!!!!

N500m for damage??
which damage,dem damage his leg
if it works like that complete sport should come and do same to me every week and pay me same.
N500m ko make im go sidon joooooooo